Powers Of Love
by LiVeUrLiFe011
Summary: Squeal to Powers Of Destiny. Bella begins college, becomes friends with the Cullen's, finds James has returned, and loses someone close to her. Whats next? Will she ever get her happy ending?
1. Starting Fresh

_**A/N: Changed some things in the story!**_

_**(James's friend is not Victoria (Sorry!) I actually changed it to Laurent.) **_

_**Sorry for the confusion. Hope you enjoy!!**_

I quickly got situated into my new place. I truly loved being here. It was something unique and my own.

Sam was happy that I was happy, and loved the sketchbook I left behind. He promised that he would be good and show the pack all my drawings even though he was tempted not to.

I hoped they would be amazed, and Sam reassured me that they would.

I decided instead of teleporting home tomorrow I would go after classes got started, which was in a few days anyways.

Within a day or two after classes started, everything was in its place. I had plates, cups, silverware, clothes, towels, a couch, TV, and even bed sheets.

I was pretty proud of myself. I got a lot accomplished.

My next step was to show the guys and hopefully have them come help me paint? Or well at least Sam since he was still off work.

I was anxious to see everyone. I missed them so much already and it hasn't even been that long. I couldn't wait for tonight.

It was Friday and that meant I was going home and would finally be able see everyone. I wanted to know how everyone was doing and how they were all managing without me.

I have been so busy I haven't been able to call or talk much, which was kind of the downside of taking all these classes and being so far away.

I quickly took a shower and changed. I put on a nice dark blue flowy top and some skinny jeans. Then I grabbed a duffle bag out of my closet and began to stuff clothes in there for the weekend.

I was practically bouncing off the walls, ready to go home.

After I was done, I quickly zipped up the bag and headed back to the kitchen to grab my purse and teleported away.

Sam and I both decided it would be best if I was to teleport to a spare room in his house. That way if Charlie was to ever be in my room or at Jake's house, and saw me I teleported in there…well… needless to say I would have lots of explaining to do.

So there I was, now standing in the guest bedroom of Sam's house.

I was going to surprise them all by coming home a little early since I finished some of the work for my college classes early.

I knew I should have stayed back at my place to finish some work for my cake class, but truthfully, I was too excited to see everyone and be back into Sam's arms.

I set my bags down on the bed and began to walk down the stairs.

"Sam?" I called.

Unfortunately, I got no response anywhere. I sighed and sat down on the steps.

I pulled out my phone and called him.

_**Ring. Ring. Ring.**_

"Hello?" Sam's deep voice greeted me.

"Hey, where are you?"

"At the beach, just watching the view, why?" he asked.

I avoided the question and teleported to the forest, which was a ways back from the beach I smiled as I saw Sam's back facing me. He seemed only a couple hundred feet away from me.

"Are you coming home soon? I miss you." He whined.

I smiled and looked around. The coast was clear. The beach was empty and no one was there to see me use my powers.

"Sooner than you think." I said from behind him and hung up my phone.

He quickly turned around and found me smiling up at him.

His mouth quickly turned from a gaping goldfish into a full blown grin. He picked me up, swinging me around and hugged me tight.

I giggled and laughed as he twirled us in circles.

After what seemed like forever, he finally put me back down on my feet.

He gazed into my eyes for a second before capturing me into a passionate kiss.

We ended up walking around the beach for a while just holding hands and enjoying our time together.

"So I was thinking, do you think you can come back to my place with me and help me paint?"

He looked down at me and took me in his arms. "Paint?"

"Yea, the walls at my place need some color. They are all white and well…boring."

He laughed and kissed my nose. "Of course I will help you."

I smiled up at him and reached up on my tip toes to kiss his lips.

An hour or so passed, and I literally had to drag Sam back so we would be in time to see the pack.

Of course Sam being Sam, he whined saying he wanted to spend some more quality time with me and such.

I just rolled my eyes and gave him kisses along the way, which seemed to help him move along a little.

"Bella?" Leah squealed while walking up to Sam's house with Jake in hand.

"Hey." I waved, coming out of the forest, towing Sam.

"Oh my heavens!" she ran towards me and pulled me into a hug.

"I can't believe your back. It feels like its been forever."

I laughed. "I know. I missed you guys. You will have to fill me in about everything."

We walked up to the front of the house and I found Jake standing there, smiling his brains out.

"Hey Jake." I said standing face to face with him.

"What? I don't get a hug?" I smiled and quickly wrapped my arms around his muscular body.

"How are you Bells? Everything good there?" he asked protectively.

I pulled away nodding. "Everything is perfect. One day you guys will have to come out and see the place. Its amazing Jake. Sam said he would help me paint, and then I want to add some other things, but after that, it will be perfect."

He smiled at me. "Good, I'm glad. I can't wait to see it."

I walked inside the house and found Jared, Kim, Paul, Seth, Embry, Quil and Emily already inside.

"Bella?!" they all shouted.

I grinned and nodded, opening my arms for them.

They all rushed towards me; and we all exchanged hugs and comments of missing each other.

Within minutes I learned news things about everyone.

Jared and Kim were loving college and Jared was glad he was decided to enroll this year.

Kim was excited to finally get the chance to start life all on her own.

Paul also decided to go to college and enjoyed having more time to spend with Emily. They were actually thinking of getting a place together.

Embry, Quil and Jake were enjoying senior year, being top of the school and all.

Quil was happy because Claire was getting older and more mature while Embry was happy knowing that Catie was having a great time at college.

Apparently they tried to talk at least once everyday and everything seemed to be working out well.

Leah and Jake seemed to be a little more affectionate. Leah said she loved college and liked the new found freedom.

Jake was thinking about opening up a garage sometime soon, but was thinking of waiting till after graduation.

And last but not least, Seth. He didn't say much. I mean he companied about being a junior and what they are making him do, the SAT's and ACT's

'Those suck dude." Paul exclaimed to Seth. Even though we all agreed, it was Emily, who was sitting on Paul's lap, turned to him and hit his arm lightly.

"Oh hush."

We all kind of laughed as Paul stood down. Man she's got him whipped.

Collin and Brady finally came home from school and gave me a massive hug.

"Sweet! Bella's home!" Collin exclaimed.

After everyone was finally settled in I got to tell them about my apartment and how everything was going.

"It's great! I can't wait for you guys to see my place. It's huge and really nice. Sam is going to help me paint and then tad a." I exclaimed.

Everyone laughed at my enthusiasm and then we talked about classes.

After a while, we all got hungry. Carry out was our only option since Sam didn't have much food in the house.

"Burgers will be here in about 20 minutes." Sam told everyone and sat me on his lap.

After what seemed like forever, the food finally got here and we all dug in.

"So I was thinking, could we go shopping this weekend?" I asked still chewing food in my mouth.

Leah spit out her pop, which sprayed all over Jake.

"Bella Swan wants to go shopping?!" she asked incredulous.

Before I could answer, Jake let out a small growl.

I quickly stifled my chuckle as I saw soda all over Jakes face.

"Leah." He growled, getting up.

I could see the blush rise on her cheeks as she started to back away from Jake and out of the kitchen.

"Oopsies." She exclaimed.

He gave her another playful growl and she ran for it.

I could hear her giggles and pleas in the living room, as we all laughed.

A few moments later, they came back both out of breath.

"So as I was saying…You want to go shopping?" she panted while plopping herself on Jake's lap.

"yup." I popped the 'p'.

"Well actually I just need some picture frames and stuff like that, so I don't know if you would really call that shopping."

We continued to talk and blab on about nonsense when I heard my cell phone ringing upstairs.

"Excuse me." I said and teleported upstairs.

I quickly dug through my bag and finally found the vibrating device.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bella! It's me! So I was thinking, why on earth would James just want you. I mean I know that you two have had a sort of close childhood, but it just didn't make sense. So then I started doing some research and digging through the facts you know? And…"

"Whoa, Catie!" I exclaimed. She was talking so fast I could barely keep up and understand what she was saying.

"So I went through everything and tried to keep tally of some things… And then I started to stumble across some things… I mean they probably aren't much but I found that…."

"Caitlyn!" I shouted finally getting her attention.

"What?" she asked out of breath.

"What has gotten into you? Why are you so concerned with James all the sudden?"

"I…well…." She stumbled. I could tell something was going on.

"Is that B? Catie I told you not to call her!" Nate yelled.

I was getting worried now. Nate didn't usually yell if it wasn't serious or he was in a super bad mood.

"Yes, but come on Nate! We need her help! And I'm tired of your crappy mood!"

"Guys! What's going on?" I asked, now pacing the guest room.

"Bella?" Sam asked from the doorway, with the pack right behind looking concerned.

I gave a small tight smile before turning my attention back to the phone.

"Well I'm sorry you have to deal with me! But when I say to do something you don't sneak behind my back!" he yelled.

I couldn't figure what was going on.

"Well excuse me! Who elected you the leader! This isn't just about you. Its Bella's problem too! And she has a fuckin right to know!" Catie yelled back. The line went silent.

I was suddenly tense and on high alert. Catie never ever used the f word unless something was seriously wrong.

"Catie, what's going on?"

I hear them both sigh into the phone.

"Bella, Nate and I ran into James..."

I sucked in a deep breath and felt my heart flutter. _No. This cant be happening._

"…and we were with Elizabeth."

I felt like I just got hit in the gut.

I quickly felt my knees go weak and saw Sam help me to sit on the bed.

"Is she ok?" I whispered, closing my eyes in fear for the answer.

I heard Catie gulp. "James…he found a friend. He has dreadlocks, his name is Laurent."

I stayed silent waiting for the doomful answer. "And they approached us while we were alone in the city at night."

I pictured the scene unfolding in my head; all the possibilities that could of happened.

"She didn't know any better B. T-They…. Started getting a little rough and…it just happened so quick. Elizabeth must have said something to tick off locks. W-We…we didn't know he was a vampire Bells. You have to believe me." She pleaded.

I let a tear roll down my cheek.

"And before I could do anything to protect Z, the guy with the dreadlocks took a swipe at her. I tired to push her out of the way Bells, I did. I really tried, but she got hit." Catie cried.

"Where?" I asked in an unsteady voice.

"The vamp got her from her shoulder to her lower arm, right by the elbow."

"God Bells, there was so much blood. And her screams…they were-…"

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. Just picturing Elizabeth in pain made me hurt inside.

"Did Nate heal her?" I blinked, pushing the horrible scene away.

"H-he tried…but they left scars Bella. He was so upset he couldn't focus right and I could only hold off the two for so long. Nate…he had to step away from Elizabeth to help me…and then we took her back here…and when she woke up-" she choked out.

"She was so scared Bells. She didn't let Nate even come near her. Sh-she…she was crying and got so angry. I have never seen her like that."

I let out a breath. At least she was alive.

"Do you know where she is now?"

"No, she stormed out of here with tears in her eyes. She wouldn't let us help her and just ran out. We couldn't do anything."

I took a breath. This was probably Nate's worst fear.

I looked up at everyone for a second and found Embry holding his stomach in pain.

I looked over at Sam confused and he motioned something between me and him. I gave him a confused look before I got it.

Catie was so upset and being Embry's imprint he could feel it too.

"Catie. You need to calm down." I said going into full mother mode. I stood up and began to pace the room. She was breaking Embry's heart, literally.

She was sobbing and crying over the phone and I felt my heart breaking for her.

"Catie, honey. It will be ok. I'm going to take care of this ok? Just take some deep breaths for me. Come on." I encouraged.

She soon began to listen to me and settle down into little whimpers. I looked towards Embry and saw him flash me a thankful smile.

"How's Nate." I finally asked sitting back on the bed.

"He's a mess Bells."

I sighed. "Has he eaten? Please tell me the house is still standing?"

I winced, thinking of the mass destruction he could have caused.

"Yea, the house is still here. He's barely come out of his room. He's falling apart Bella. His mood swings are giving me a whiplash. He keeps blaming himself about the whole situation."

I felt guilt hit me. This wasn't Nate's fault, it was mine.

Sam's hand came over my thigh and he squeezed it lightly.

I looked over to him and noticed how loving his gaze was. I cocked my head to the side. There was something I couldn't place there. Sadness….pain?

The thought occurred to me that he was feeling my guilt.

I let out a breath and went back to Catie.

"Maybe I should come over there."

"NO!" she shouted loudly.

"He doesn't want to see anyone right now. Trust me. Didn't you hear how mad he got with me over talking to you?" she panicked.

"Ok ok. Relax."

"Look, I am going to try and work this out ok? Just hold on tight."

She sniffled and sighed. "Thank you Bellsey. I knew you would help."

I smiled. She reminded me so much of a small little helpless girl. "Of course Catie. Call me if you need me. I will have my cell on me."

After a few more minutes I hung up with her and looked at the pack.

"So much for that shopping trip."

Everyone laughed a little, and I felt the tension go away.

"So what now Bells?" Embry asked weakly.

"I need to find Elizabeth."

"And how are you going to do that?" Paul asked.

"By focusing." I said crossing my legs and focusing on Elizabeth.

I felt everyone's eyes on me and I sighed.

"Guys, I can't focus with you all staring at me."

Emily gladly pushed everyone of the room for me, including Sam, who protested all the way out the door.

I gave her a thankful smile which she just waved off laughing at the boys.

I once again closed my eyes and focused on Elizabeth.

I channeled her hurt and pain and looked for her. A fear started to bubble inside me.

Wonder if she was all alone and James and that red head Victoria found her.

I took a shaky breath and pushed the thought aside. Right now, I just needed to focus on finding Elizabeth before anything happened.

A weird feeling passed me by; when I abruptly felt the emotions she was feeling.

I gripped the bed sheet and gritted my teeth, trying to continue to focus on her.

I knew I was getting close._ Elizabeth._ I kept thinking. _I need to find Elizabeth._

My mind started to clear and the pain slowly started to fade. There she was sitting on a swing, with bloody jeans and a light jacket.

I gasped and shook myself out of the vision.

I stood up from the bed and rushed to tell the pack.

"Hey, I found her." I panted from running down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Everyone stood up. "Where is she?" Quil asked.

"The park. Not far from Nate's place. I'm gunna go."

"No! Wait. It could be dangerous." Sam grabbed my wrist before I could teleport away.

"Sam. I will be fine. I really need to go. Can we just push off this inevitable conversation for later?" I pleaded.

I knew he was worried and felt torn but I needed to get to Elizabeth. Right now she was my main priority.

"Bella, please. You can't go alone. Wonder if something happens? Bring us. Come on. You can talk to her and we can stand guard."

"Sam." I huffed. "I'm not strong enough to take all of you."

"Well then just take some of us. Or make more than one trip." He begged.

I shook my head. "No, Elizabeth is frightened already. By bringing more people it will just freak her out even more. I need her to come back, not run away."

I tugged my wrist but was still stuck.

"Sam! Please. I need to go."

"Come on dude. She will be fine." Jake said nodding towards me.

I gave him the most thankful look I could muster and relief washed over me as Sam let go.

"Thank you." I murmured and gave him a quick kiss.

'Be back before you know it." I said waving.

I ended up teleporting a few feet away. I didn't want to just pop out and scare her.

"Hey." I said softly, sitting down on the swing next to her.

She visibly flinched and moved away from me.

"Z, I wont hurt you. It's not like that." I looked at her.

I didn't dare move an inch, knowing she was so scared of me already.

She stared at me with watery eyes that seemed hollow and empty inside.

I let my eyes wander over her body.

Her hair was a mess and she had a small blue tint to her lips from the cold night weather.

My eyes wandered to her collarbone and saw a shiny white claw like scar.

I internally winced. That woman did a number on her. Her jeans were bloody and ripped and I saw she was barefoot.

"You're scared." I stated.

"I can feel it, I can sense it, and I know it."

"But you don't have to be. I'm still the same old Bella."

"No, no your not." She whispered.

"I don't know who you are. I don't know who any of you are." She said harshly.

I felt a pang of hurt but then felt anger. "Why because we aren't normal?"

I took a breath to calm down. "Look, just because I can do some weird things doesn't change me and it doesn't change Nate."

"Nate's still the same old guy you love." I whispered to her, while sneaking small glances when she wasn't noticing.

"No he's not. He's a liar, and a…."

"Freak?" I supplied.

She sighed. "I know you might think I'm being harsh Bella, but look at what happened! What his lies did to me!" she shrieked pointing to her chest and arm.

"It wasn't his lies that got you that." I tilted my head towards.

"He was the one trying to protect you from them. It was my fault."

She gasped and took little steps back.

"The man, James. He was…is…after me." I corrected.

"And somehow he knew to get to Nate and Catie." I looked over at her to see her intrigued.

"The worst part was, was that he did." Elizabeth's eyes went wide.

"The night you called, and I was there. It wasn't because I was there for a visit. The night before that Nate got hurt really bad. James got to him and it was a warning for me. So Catie came to my house and told me she needed me to go over and fix him."

"And all the guys didn't want me to leave them…so I just took them. I ended up fixing Nate, but passing out in exhaustion."

I looked at her to see how she was taking this all in. She seemed pale…but understanding.

"And then we were getting to talking when you called." I concluded.

"So it's not Nate you should be mad or scared at. It's me." I said, almost disgusted with myself.

"I-I'm not mad." She whispered.

I looked to her shocked.

"I'm just so…lost. The red head…she just clawed me. And there was so much blood. And then Nate said he could fix me. There was this bright light…and then I saw Nate leaving me." She sniffled.

I figured this was when he needed to help Catie.

"I was so scared Bells. I still am." She cried.

I went over and hugged her. She just sat there, crying in my shoulder.

"When I woke up, he was sitting there, and I was so afraid of him. He could do these things. For a second I just didn't even know who he was."

"Then I got so angry with him. He lied to me, and all he kept saying was that he was sorry, like it was supposed to mean something. He kept coming closer Bells, and I was so scared, I just ran."

I sighed. "It's ok Z. I get it. We all do." I said.

She looked up at me confused.

"Nate didn't want to tell you. He tried his hardest not too. He didn't want you to always hold the burden of keeping the secret and he never wanted you in any danger. No matter how many times Catie and I tried pressuring him into telling you he always said no. You deserved the best and telling you was more of a burden than anything."

"Bella, do you think he will forgive me?" she hiccupped.

I looked down at her puzzled. "Forgive you? For what?"

She blushed. "For storming out like that. Do you think he will still want me? Do you think he will still want to marry me?"

Her eyes got big and panicked.

"Z! Of course he would want you. You have been his life and love for as long as I can remember. You are the one who always brings him joy and happiness. He doesn't need to forgive you, because you never did anything wrong."

She sighed and hugged me. "Thank you Bells, I don't know what I would do without you."

I laughed. "Anytime. Now can we go tell Nate, because last I heard, he was a wreck and Catie was a second away from banging her head into a wall."

She laughed a little. "Bella I don't have a car or anything."

I sighed. _Did I really wanna push my luck?_

I turned towards her "Do you trust me?"

She nodded. I put my hand out and she took it.

"Then lets teleport." I said with a small smile.

I saw the fear in her eyes and I quickly reassured her.

"It's ok. It doesn't hurt or anything. I promise. It will be fine. I won't let anything hurt you."

She gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand.

I quickly thought of where I was going and Bam! We were there.

"Nate! Catie!" I called.

"Bella! Catie said relieved. She ran towards me to giving me a hug.

When she pulled back I found her looking wide eyed at Elizabeth. Before she could say or yell anything, I covered my hand with her mouth.

I then put a finger to my own, signaling that she needed to keep quite. She nodded, and I unclasped my hand over her hand.

"Nate!" I yelled, walking over to the stairs.

"Go away!" came a muffled yell.

"Nate, get your Ass down here!" I yelled again.

I stood by the stairs for a few minutes before giving up with a huff.

I was just about to go to Elizabeth and tell her sorry that Nate wasn't going to come down, when I heard his footsteps.

"What-…" He snapped and then stopped.

"Elizabeth?!" he whispered. He took a look from me, to her and just stood there shocked.

"Oh my god." He said running towards her.

It was a beautiful sight. He swooped her up in his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling and smiling.

"I'm so sorry." She told him when he set her down.

"Oh baby. It's all my fault. I should have-…"

"No. I understand. I shouldn't have run off like that. I was just so scared." She cried. He was about to say something when she cut him off.

"But I am ok now. I don't care what you are or what happens, all I know is that I want to be with you and I can't live without you."

His eyes dazzled with joy. "I love you Elizabeth."

I didn't know if she replied her or not because he quickly kissed her with hard, sweet passion.

"I better go." I whispered to Catie, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, just watching the couple. It was a beautiful sight.

"Thanks." She murmured before I was off. I looked at her and nodded one last time.

"If you need anything else, or even want to just visit Embry, then call me." I said winking to her.

Her cheeks turned pink and she gave me a quick hug.

I didn't say goodbye to Elizabeth or Nate because I didn't want to interrupt their moment, so I went as quietly as possible.


	2. The Cullens

"Hey, I'm back." I yelled, coming in from the backyard.

I heard chattering but didn't know exactly what was going on.

"Sam? Jake?" I called making my way though the house.

I found everyone having an intense conversation in the kitchen.

"Hey." I said, breaking up the little pow wow.

Everyone turned to me and the room became silent.

"Bells." Sam said stepping away from everyone and giving me a hug.

I hugged him, but watched everyone else over Sam's shoulder, analyzing them carefully. I noticed Billy was here, which meant it was something big.

"What's going on?" I asked parting away from Sam.

"Hey Billy." I said greeting him with a hug.

He smiled at me warmly and had this…confliction in his eyes?

"Well….we….-" the guys started to say

Everyone started running their hands though their hair; a classic way of saying _hold on, we are making up an excuse._

"Sam?" I asked, knowing he wouldn't lie to me.

He looked back, and sighed.

"We are having a pack meeting."

"Oh." _Was that supposed to be a big deal?_ I thought to myself. I walked over to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. I took out a glass and began to pour the smooth orange liquid into the cup.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Everyone was silent.

I finished pouring my orange juice and looked up at them. Something strange was going on.

"The Cullen's want to mend the treaty."

I screwed the cap back onto the orange juice and walked over to the fridge to put it away.

"Oh, why do they want to do that?"

I was truly confused. Wasn't that a good thing? I mean, it's not like they were bad people. I know they are vamps or bloodsuckers as the pack likes to call them, but they seemed nice and plus they didn't drink human blood. So that's got to count for something.

"Because the bloo-Cullen's…." Sam quickly mended.

He knew how much I hated when he called them that. The Cullen's have been generally nice to me, and I thought since they seem to show a little respect towards the pack, Sam should do the same.

"…believe you are the one to bring us all together." He needed.

I jumped up on the counter and grabbed my juice.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked, taking a sip of my juice.

"We are having a meeting with them tonight. And before you ask, no, you are not coming."

As soon as Sam said those words, my hand tightened around the glass so hard, I thought it was going to break.

"What?" I asked dangerously low.

"No Bella. There is a clan full of vampires. There is no way in hell you are coming."

"So what! I was with all of them when I went to their house!" I yelled jumping down and walking over to Sam.

"And we aren't putting you back into that situation!" he yelled.

I was angry. No. I was furious. I wasn't some little girl that could be pushed around.

_Calm down._ I kept telling myself. I didn't need to lose control.

I took a breath and looked at Sam. I felt everyone watch us as I stepped closer to him. I observed how ridged his body went. His shoulders were so tense and his hands were clenched into fists.

"Sam, look. I know that you are worried about me. And I know I may not be a werewolf or some indestructible person, but I'm not normal either. I can do this Sam. I want to go. I need to go. You can't keep me in the dark Sam. Whether you like it or not, I am important. Not only to you, but to them."

I took a breath and looked in his eyes. They were still guarded, but were fading into the Sam I knew. My Sam.

"I promise I will stay by you guys. But they need me Sam, just as much as we need them. Trust me. Please. I'm not going to get hurt, and I'm not going anywhere. So just trust me." I pleaded.

His body relaxed and he pulled me into his chest.

"Bella, why." He whimpered.

"Trust me." I whispered, listening to his heart.

He sighed again and ran his hands up and down my back.

"Ok, but you are staying close to us. I want Seth and Jared by you at all times in their wolf form." He commanded.

I smiled up at him and nodded. "Ok."

I gave him a sweet kiss and pulled away to sit back on the counter and sipped my juice.

I heard Sam sighing, and went to go sit down on the chair. He put his head in his hands and shook it. Everyone laughed at how whipped he was.

"You got it bad dude." Jake laughed, slapping Sam on the back.

I chuckled a little.

"So when are we going?" I asked looking at the clock.

Sam looked up at me and then the clock. "About an hour."

I nodded and jumped off the counter again. "Ok, well I am going to get ready so we can be on time."

As I made my way out of the kitchen I smiled.

I made a detour and made my way towards Sam.

I plopped down in his laugh and felt him chuckle a little. It was like I was sitting on Santa's lap.

"Thank you." I told Sam.

He nodded and brought me into a kiss. The kiss was full of need and love. It was just about to get a lot steamier and lustful when someone cleared their throat.

Sam and I both sighed. We pulled apart and I looked at them.

"Throat clearing. Really?" I asked.

I heard Billy and some of the others chuckle.

"Well pardon us for feeling all nasty inside for watching you and Sam suck each others faces off." Paul teased.

"First of all, sucking is totally the wrong word. What are you like 5? And secondly, it's called turning your head. No one said you had to watch."

"Trust me, I didn't." he snickered.

"Sure perv." I mumbled.

The guys laughed, well everyone except for Paul.

"Whatever." He murmured.

Of course, since I couldn't think of anything to say, I just stuck out my tongue at him. He looked at me and just rolled his eyes.

I felt Sam's body shake softly with laughter.

I turned back to him and he flashed me a grin.

"Go get ready." He said patting my thigh. I flashed him a grin and skipped up the stairs.

I quickly put on a white tank top and a turquoise blue tee shirt to layer on top. I looked out my window and saw how dark was getting and decided to grab my favorite black hoodie.

I put on some black converse and some sweatpants and then stuck my hair into a messy bun.

After I was all ready I trotted downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen and found everyone nervous. They were all standing and pacing the floor, as tense as ever.

I looked around for Billy but found him no where in sight.

"Where's Billy?" I asked out loud.

"Jake took him home. He should be back soon." Sam said looking me over.

I felt myself blush at the way he was staring.

"What? Should I go change?" I asked feeling shifty.

"No, Damn. You make sweats look hot Bells!" Leah whistled.

I laughed awkwardly and blushed even more. "Thanks Le-le."

I leaned against the door way for a few more minutes just watching everyone.

As my eyes fell upon Sam I saw how tense and nervous he was.

I walked over to him and glided my hands over his firm shoulders.

"Relax. Everything is going to be fine."

He looked down at me and smiled slightly.

"Did I ever tell you how sexy you look in a ponytail and sweats?" he asked huskily.

I blushed and looked away.

"I mean it Bells." He said, fanning his hot breath against my ear.

I faintly heard someone close the door and enter the house, but I didn't really pay attention.

I felt myself get weak in the knees as Sam began kissing and nipping on my ear slightly. After a few seconds, he finally stopped torturing me with embarrassment and pleasure, and I put my forehead against his chest.

He laughed slightly and I knew he was smiling, smug with delight.

"Ready to go?" Jake asked us, stepping into our little bubble of happiness.

We both looked to him and took a second to pull our thoughts together.

"Vamps. Right. Yes." I said answering jakes question.

I heard all of the guys' chuckle slightly, and Sam hug me to him. We walked out of the house, with my back pressed against Sam's chest, and our hands entwined wrapped around my waist. I laughed at our wide steps and our feet which were walking together in sync.

We got outside in the driveway, and I knew Sam needed to go phase into a wolf.

I pulled our hands away from my waist and gave him quick kiss.

"Do you think I should connect all our minds?" I asked breaking the kiss.

"Did you want to?"

"I don't know. I mean, I think it would be helpful. And that way I don't have to just stand there only knowing one side of the conversation." I pointed out.

Sam chucked. "Well that's true."

"Do you mind?"

"Of course not Baby. I'm fine with that, and I'm sure the rest of the guys and Leah are too. Just don't over due it ok? I don't need you bleeding with a bunch of vamps around and I don't need you getting hurt." He brushed his thumb across my cheek bone.

I laughed. "Ok, I will try not to let that happen." I reached up on my tip toes and gave him a peck on the lips.

I chuckled as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my feet so they were on top of his.

I broke away from the kiss to burst out laughing as Sam began to tickle my sides.

"Sam!" I shrieked.

He and I were both laughing as I shifted all around in his strong arms, giggling like crazy.

"Stop!" I cried in hysterics.

He finally stopped tickling me to let me catch some breath.

"Thank you." I huffed out.

Before he could start to tickle me again I unwrapped his arms from me and pushed him off towards the woods with the others.

He walked away but looked over his shoulder to give me a wink.

I giggled, and then laughed at myself for being like a school girl.

_Oh crackers_. I thought to myself. _I'm whipped._

I felt a long wet swipe go up my hand and wrist.

"Eww!" I screeched.

I saw a huge Black wolf give something which sounded like laughter and a lopsided grin. Well the grin was more like his tongue sticking out the side of his moth, but it was still pretty funny.

"Sam." I whined and wiped the icky spit on my pants.

"That was gross." I said shaking my finger at him.

I saw him roll his eyes and I laughed. I rubbed my hand over the soft black fur on his head.

I must say, Sam has a beautiful coat. His fur is so thick and shiny. It was mesmerizing.

I heard a soft growl like groan and chuckled.

"Sorry Bub. We have people to go see."

He whimpered a little and jerked his head towards the two wolves that I knew were Seth and Jared.

"Yea, Yea. I got this." I said rolling my eyes at Sam while walking towards the two boys.

The wolves barked with laughter and I pet Seth and Jared's heads.

"Come on Boys, lets go put this unnecessary protection to use." I made sure to stress the word 'unnecessary' loud and clear to make sure Sam would hear it.

Of course, he had wolf hearing so I guess it wasn't really a problem, but still, I thought it was essential.

We walked to the boarder in formation. Well it was more like Sam in front; beside him were Jake and then Leah. Everyone else was behind them, except for Jared, Seth and I.

We were off towards the side, pretty much behind everyone.

_Can everyone hear me?-__**Bella**_

_Yea- __**Embry**_

_Yup.-__**Quil**_

_I got you Bells! - __**Paul**_

_Yes baby- __**Sam**_

_Sure thing! - __**Leah**_

_Of course- __**Jake**_

_Hey bells- __**Collin**__ and __**Brady**__ said at the same time._

_Damn that freaks me out sometimes._

_Thanks Bells! - __**Collin**__ and __**Brady**__ said again at the same time_

_Erg! Stop that- __**Bella**_

_Oops. Sorry Bells- __**Collin**__ and __**Brady**_

_Everyone was laughing slightly in their head._

_Alright guys. Let's get this meeting started- __**Sam**__ commanded in an Alpha tone._

"Hey Guys. Hey Carlisle." I waved to them.

"Hey Bella." They all said and smiled those perfect white teeth.

I was about to say more, when a bark interrupted me. I looked over and found it was Sam.

_Bella. Seriously? - __**Sam**__ asked in full alpha mode._

I knew not to take it in offense, but I still felt a tad pang of hurt.

_Sorry Sam. Won't happen again- __**Bella**_

Sam nodded and turned back to the Cullen's.

_What do you want exactly? - __**Sam**_

We all waited for Edward to read his mind and then relay the message to the rest of the Cullen's.

We waited for about a minute until we all started to get a little impatient, including Edward.

"Son?" Carlisle asked Edward.

"I can't read them." He said, squinting towards us and trying with all his might to read their minds.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked him.

"I don't know. It's just coming up blank. I don't hear anything except silence." He whined.

"I can translate…or speak or whatever." I spoke up.

_Bella- __**Sam**__ growled._

_Come on Sam. Did you really want to go human form? - __**Bella**_

He thought about the strategies for a few seconds before sighing.

_Fine, ask them what they want. - __**Sam**_

"So what exactly do you want?" I asked the Cullen's.

"How are you doing that?" Edward asked shocked. He started to move forward, but Carlisle quickly put an arm out to stop him. Unfortunately Edwards's movement caused Seth and Jared to go on high alert and back me away. The rest of the pack felt the tension and saw our movement which caused them to step forward to protect me, which caused the Cullen's to get into a battle position and also take a step forward, thinking they're own family was in danger or what not.

_Stick to the questions Cullen- __**Sam**__ said venomously._

"Can we all just chill!" I said getting nervous. Everyone was getting too close to each other, and the growling between both sides was making me antsy.

Everyone suddenly snapped out of it (Thank Heavens!), noticing the tension filled air and got out of their battle positions. They then all took a step back, nodding they meant for peace with each other.

"Thank you." I breathed in relief.

"As for your question Edward, I'm sorry, but can we just stick to the questions for now?" I asked politely.

He got my point and backed away. "Sure Bella, I am very sorry."

I gave him a small smile showing he was ok.

"I actually mainly wanted to talk to you Bella." Carlisle directed everything towards me.

"Me?" I squealed.

"Yes, about when you came to visit me. I think I have an explanation. Would you care to walk with me?"

_Bella- __**Sam**__ growled._

_Hell no! - __**Embry**__ shouted_

_Don't Do it Belly! - __**Leah**__ growled_

_No! - __**Jake**__ yelled._

I winced at their loud voices.

"As much as I would like to Carlisle, the pack needs to find trust in you all, and taking me off alone wouldn't be doing such." I said apologetically.

"Oh my. I am very sorry. I didn't even think about that. The doctor in me must have gotten ahead. I am truly sorry."

_Damn should be- __**Paul**__ grumbled._

"It's fine. Maybe if you could explain to them about me? I'm sure everyone would like to know, including me." I laughed a little, easing the tension.

"I would love to. If that is alright with all of you." Carlisle asked the pack.

_Yes. Its fine Bella- __**Sam**__ said_

"They said it was fine. Please, explain away." I said moving my arms to have him take it away!

"Well, I believe you are the peacekeeper between the two creatures." He started.

"Notice how both sides aren't bothered by each others smell." I noticed how that had seemed to catch everyone's interest.

_Weird- __**Jake**_

_Cool! -__** Brady**_

_Sweet! –__** Embry**_

_Hmm…that's…strange. - __**Sam**__ said while pondering the thought a while longer._

He went on to explain some others things and we all stood there listening to the doc's hypothesis.

When he was done, he let us think about everything and absorb what we were told.

"Is that why when I first came here I was flooded with visions?" I asked the doctor.

_What?! –__**Sam**__ asked concerned_

_When?!- __**Jake**__ asked shocked_

_Why didn't you tell us!?- __**Leah**__ asked surprised_

_Hush! - __**I**__ yelled at all of them, trying to listen to the doctor speak._

"Visions? Tell me about them. When did they start? Have you had anymore? What did you see?"

"Whoa Doc. Slow down." I said feeling slightly flabbergasted.

He chuckled in embarrassment. "I'm Sorry Bella. I seem to get ahead of myself. It's just so exciting to unravel this."

"It's no problem." I waved off.

"As for everything else, I mean, the only time it really happened was when I first got time. I was going over to Jake's to surprise him and when I crossed the border, I had to pull over to the side of the road cause my head was killing and I was flooded with a bunch of scenes of things and people."

"Can you describe them in detail to me?" he asked.

"Well, I mean, it was weird. Like, I knew that there were vampires and werewolves there and…people of my kind? Does that make sense?" I asked him.

"Yes, I believe so. I think there was more of your type Bella. They're most likely more humans with special abilities like you."

"Do you remember what was happening?" he asked after a few seconds.

"Umm…fighting. And noise. Yea, I remember there was lots of fighting and yelling." I concluded.

"That's good Bella. That's very good."

"Dr. Cullen…Carlisle. Were my people…bad?" I asked softly.

I tensed, not wanting to know my answer exactly. Was I the cause of this horrible treaty?

"Oh no. Bella, your kind was defiantly not bad. I believe your kind was the purest of the all. You are the reason we still exist and are here today."

I sighed in relief. Thank the heavens.

_Sam. Can I go talk to Carlisle for a few minutes alone? Please? - __**Bella**_

_Bella- __**Sam**__ growled softly._

_Look, it will all give you some time to think everything over. And he and I can stay on the boundary line. Pleasseeee?-__**Bella**_

_Fine. But stay close. And make sure you stay in eyesight and close distance. - __**Sam **__warned._

_Ok, I will. Thank you Baby.-__**Bella**_

"Carlisle, would you like to go walk and talk with me?"

He looked at me shocked but immediately took my offer.

I broke through the guys and we walked along the border. I noticed how Jared took a few steps closer and I smiled.

He was really trying to protect me.

_Its ok Jared, I will be fine-__** Bella**_

_I know Bella, I just…I'm being cautious- __**Jared**_

_Alright, just linger behind ok? I don't need everyone freaking out-__**Bella**_

He laughed and nodded his big wolfy head. _Sounds good Bells-__**Jared**_

"So Carlisle, I don't really know where to begin." I looked down and fiddled with my hands.

"Well, how about we start with any questions. Do you have any?" he asked looking at me.

"I…well… I mean. If I'm what you say I am, then what is supposed to happen exactly? What am I supposed to do? And what about James?" I asked highly alert now.

"Bella, Calm down." he soothed.

I took a breath and stopped walking. "What about my….predicament. About the whole hospital visit?" I asked clearly paling.

"Well, you see I believe it's just a huge amount of stress that causes this."

I looked at him oddly. Stress? That simple thing is causing my powers to go wacky.

I looked at him doubtfully, I mean come on. Let's face it that just sounds wimpy.

"When you had your nose bleed, I am guessing the wolves could smell the blood?"

I nodded, not really catching on.

"This probably created a huge amount of stress. Not only were you already stressed about not healing, but when the pack was worried."

"ok." I said still trying to see his answer.

"Its like your body is working to calm you down, but there is so much stress that it can only reach some extent, which is why your nose just kept bleeding."

"So you're saying I have to be calm?"

He laughed a little. "No not necessarily. I'm saying that you need to find a way to cope with huge amounts of stress. Some people may pace or twitch, but in your case, you need to learn to breath and slow down. That's all."

I nodded and looked over to the pack. They were all still standing around except for Jared and Sam who were laying down with their heads on their legs keeping an eye on me.

"I think they would all be good together." I nodded over to everyone.

"Yes, but it will take some time." Carlisle said clearly upset at that.

"No argument there." I said sadly.

I turned to Dr. Cullen, who was looking at the two families.

"Do you think they will ever trust each other?"

He sighed and gave me a small smile. When he turned to me, I knew how honest he was going to be.

"At first, I thought it would never happen. No matter how hard me or my family tried to gain their trust, I knew it would never be possible. But then, you came along. And I look at them now, and I see how much they don't trust each other, but they trust you. Everyone seems to. And you're that person Bella. The person that everyone knows will make the right decision."

I looked away and bit my lip. Now just wait till I screw this up.

"Bella, I know that seems a lot to handle. But what makes me know that you will do the right thing, is that you will have all the guidance and love. Everyone accept you for you, and we will learn from each other. So it doesn't matter if things don't turn out right away or if you mess up at points, because we will still be here for each other no matter what."

I looked back at him and gave him a teary smile.

"Thank you!" I said hugging him.

Carlisle seemed to be shocked at my actions and tensed a little.

I felt the pack and vamps go tense, along with Sam and Jared who now got up.

_Bella! What are you doing?-__**Leah**__ screeched._

_Bella! Back away now! You could get hurt- __**Sam**__ said panicking_

_Bella! Get away from the Leech- __**Jared**__ yelled_

_Everyone else seemed to gasp and say the same thing._

_I'm fine guys. - __**Bella**_

"Thank you Carlisle." I murmured to him.

He relaxed a little and moved his arms up from his sides to hug me back.

"You are quite welcome Bella."

When we let go, I laughed and wiped some tears.

I reassured the pack one more time, saying I was ok.

Carlisle and I ended up talking a little more about everything. He said that we should find some time to meet up to teach me how to control my stress levels. He laughed when I said he should probably teach me to handle the rest of my emotions considering I seem to have a slight temper.

He said he would be glad, which made me happier. It was like I was finally putting my family back together little by little.


	3. Getting Ready to Paint

So after the hug and everyone calmed down, Carlisle and I talked about what has supposed to happen.

I guess all I was supposed to do was live my life and include both sides. He said everyone would play their own part.

It was pretty late when Carlisle and I finally ended our conversation and walked back to our families.

I yawned and pet both Sam and Jared's head as I walked by.

We all went back into formation, with Seth and Jared in front of me.

"Is that all now?" I asked the Cullen's.

"Well that's all we have to say. Did you all have anything else to discuss or have any questions?" Carlisle asked politely.

_Guys? - __**Bella**_

_We need to talk about the treaty. Bella, if you would like you can go home. It's just the terms of the treaty and what we are going to do to mend it and such. - __**Sam**_

My heart soared at the thought of everyone trying to be one big family.

_Don't go that far Baby, its just I think its time for some new terms and to fix some of the old ones- __**Sam**_

_Thank you Sam. - __**I**__ said happily._

"Well Sam would like to discuss some things with you about the treaty, but I think I am going to head out. Good night everyone." I told the Cullen's.

Sam commanded Jared and Seth to make sure I got home safe and patrol around my house just incase.

I told the pack goodnight and walked away with Jared and Seth close behind me.

When I got home I said goodnight to Seth and Jared and then went upstairs to go to bed.

"Crap." I whined.

I forgot to grab my clothes from Sam's house. I sat on my bed thinking what I should do.

I could just have them appear, but I was so tired that I really did have the energy.

My closet and dresser were both empty cause I took everything up to my apartment.

I was just about to plop down on my bed and go to sleep in my clothes when I remembered I had a shirt of Sam's on the washer. I have been meaning to give it back to him…but I guess it can wait a few days.

I tiredly walked down the stairs and grabbed the shirt and walked back to my room.

I stripped off my sweats and put on the huge long white cotton tee shirt.

I loved how it still smelt like Sam even though it has been through my washer.

I pulled back the covers and then slipped in bed, enjoying the comfort of my sheets wrapped around me.

Not long after I was sound asleep with a smile on my face thinking about my family.

When I woke up I felt hot.

I turned back to find Sam curled up behind me with an arm around my waist and on top of my covers.

I was practically sweating with his body heat so close to me.

I carefully and quietly slipped out of my covers and snuggled back up to Sam.

I closed my eyes and smiled at how much I loved this moment.

His muscular body made me feel so safe and secure. I didn't care how cliché that sounded, I just knew how true it was.

His breathing was even and slow, and his grip was still firm around my waist. It was like he could even protect me during his sleep (which was probably possible.)

After a few more minutes of daydreaming, I decided I couldn't fall back asleep.

Sam's grip wasn't that hard to pull out of, I was just afraid that if I was to move away he would wake up and I didn't want that to happen.

Sam has been exerting himself way too much, and needed the sleep.

I sighed and decided to stay put. I thought of everything I needed to do to today, or at least what the pack wanted to.

Since I was home for the weekend I decided that we were going to celebrate Leah and Seth's birthday.

It was sometime during the week but who knows if I would be able to make it home.

_Oh! Or maybe they could come to my place. But it's not done…_

I sighed. _Maybe Sam could help me today…_

I looked over to the clock and found it has been two hours since I woke up, so almost 1 o'clock now.

If I was going to celebrate the two birthdays I was going to need to start working.

I cautiously pulled out of Sam's grip, and luckily he was still sleeping.

I leaned over and gave him a small kiss and then hopped in the shower.

After I was done, I grabbed my clothes and changed. Then I went down to the kitchen, grabbed a pop tart and wrote Sam a note.

_Sam, _

_Didn't want to wake you. You needed the sleep._

_Went out for some things. Call my cell when you get up. Be home soon._

_Love you._

_Bella._

I grabbed my cell and headed off on Storm to the store.

When I was there, I immediately went to the picture frames. Some were colorful, while others were antique looking. There were even really big ones that you could hang places and some you could just put on tables.

I finally headed to the check out line after deciding to get some fun yet serious looking picture frames. I made sure to grab a variety of ones you could hang and some you could sit. I also grabbed frames with all different sizes and designs.

Truthfully, I was really excited. I couldn't wait to put all the pictures in the frames and place them all around the apartment.

I quickly drove home and was met with a smell of blueberry pancakes.

I made sure the picture frames were still secure in my huge over the shoulder bag and parked Storm.

"Hello!?" I yelled coming into the house.

"Hey." Sam yelled from the kitchen.

I didn't bother to set my stuff down I just walked into the kitchen while my tummy rumbled with hunger.

"Smells good." I said walking over and hugging Sam from behind.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his shirtless shoulder.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled at me.

"Why thank you. I figured you would be hungry when you got home."

"When did you get home? Why didn't you call me?" I asked snuggling into him as he turned around still cooking the pancakes.

"Eh. I thought you would be home soon anyways. I didn't get up too late. Maybe like 20 minutes ago."

I nodded.

"So what did you get?" he flipped a very yummy pancake.

"Some picture frames. Actually I wanted to ask you a favor." I said giving him a sweet smile. I walked from his embrace to set the table.

"What do you want…or need?" he asked suspiciously.

I fake gasped. "How…why-…I would never ask for such a thing." I tried pulling of a shocked and offended face while putting the plates on the table.

He snorted and just looked at me.

I decided to drop the act. We were wasting precious time here.

"Ok, so can we paint my place later today? Please? I was thinking of having Leah and Seth's birthday at my place? Kind of like a welcome to my new apartment and a happy birthday get together."

He put all the pancakes on a big plate and we sat down to eat.

"Alright. Did you get the paint yet?"

I shook my head and swallowed my mouthful of pancakes.

"No, I didn't know how many cans we should get."

"How many were you thinking?" he said with food still in his mouth.  
"Maybe like 6-8. We have a huge family room and then 2 long bedrooms"

He nodded. "Alright. Did you want me to pick them up after I patrol? Then you and I can go?"

I smiled at him. "Sounds perfect."

We ate in silence for a couple minutes before I spoke up.

"Do you think it would be a good idea to tell Leah and Seth to be over here on the day of their birthday today? Or should I just wait"

"It doesn't really matter. If you would like, I could have them meet you here the day of. That way it is more of a surprise."

I smiled at him even larger. "I love you."

He looked up from his food and swallowed before smiling at me.

"I love you more."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. I brought my plate up to the sink and looked at him.

"Not possible."

I turned back to wash the dish and big hands wrapped around me.

"Oh but it is. I love you more than anything." He said kissing my cheek.

I turned towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Show me." I commanded.

He looked into my eyes for a second, before crashing his lips to mine.

The kiss was powerful and hard. There was so much lust and want, it was breath taking.

Unfortunately, we both had to pull away from air.

"Wow." I gasped.

He snickered a little. "Damn straight."

He looked up towards the clock and back at me.

"I have to go for patrol. Did you want me to call you when I get to the paint store or stop by here before I go so you can give me a list?"

I smiled. "Oh, you know me too well."

He rolled his eyes and walked towards the door. "I know"

I went towards the door to walk him out and smiled at my wonderful boyfriend.

I couldn't help but kiss him. He was amazing, what could I say?

"Mmmm. Sorry I couldn't stay longer baby."

I shook my head and smiled up at him. "Its fine, I'm just going to clean up. What time is your shift over?"

I walked him towards the door and opened it for him.

"It's only an hour. So I shouldn't be too long."

I nodded and leaned against the door as he walked outside towards the woods.

"Have fun. Tell the guys hey for me." I yelled.

He turned around and waved, saying he heard me and he will.

I shut the door after Sam walked into the woods, and began to wash the dishes.

After I was done, I looked at the clock to see I still had about a half hour.

I trotted upstairs and went on my laptop to look at the colors. Only 20 minutes later I found all of them I wanted.

I picked a nice deep purple that would go nice with the clean white ceiling and crown molding.

For the two bedrooms I picked a smooth light green and a darker blue that wasn't quite as dark as a navy blue, but just perfect.

I smiled to myself; it was a lot easier than I thought.

I didn't know what to do next, so I ended up just taking out my notebook and writing some songs. I used my computer to find a good rhythm and began writing. Not too much later, I had a good melody and some lyrics.

I closed my laptop and then shut my notebook. I quickly put a gray hoodie sweatshirt and headed downstairs to go meet Sam.

I was a little early, but hey, what can I say, I was excited to start painting my new place.

I stuck my feet in a pair of tennis shoes and walked out the door towards the woods.

I wandered around a little, just enjoying the scenery of the woods, before I felt my body go tense.

I felt as if something was going to happen. I stopped walking and looked around. No one was there.

I took a breath. _Maybe I was just being paranoid._

I knew I was lying to myself, but I didn't want to think about anyone out here in the woods with me.

I took a few more steps, brushing up against the trees on occasion when I swear I heard something.

I turned around once again to find nothing in sight.

I sighed, and just as I turned around to keep walking I gasped.

"James."

My heart was racing a mile a second. _This was not good. He was going to take me away. Or kill me. Or worse._ My face paled with fear.

I turned around; hoping to make a quick escape, when I was met with the Jamaican dread lock vamp Catie told me about.

I took a deep breath and then swallowed the lump in my throat and put on a brave face. I quickly snapped my head back to James and found him smirking.

He had me trapped and we all knew it.

"What do you want?" I asked harshly.

"Ooo. Is that anyway to talk to your mate now?" James taunted.

"Mate?" I chuckled.

"Yea, right." I said with as much sarcasm as I could.

He growled and walked circles around me. My head followed him, not letting him out of my sight, no matter how scared I felt. I looked briefly at the man and saw he stood back letting him do whatever was necessary. My attention was his again as he began to talk to me.

"You know, I would be nice to me. Your dogs could be on the edge of death and you would never know."

If it was possible I felt myself pale even more.

_No._ I thought. _I would feel it. I would know if one of them was hurt._

I reassured myself. He is bluffing; trying to get me anxious.

"Nice try James." I sneered.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Well, then I guess I will have to try a different tactic with you."

He stopped walking and placed himself overly close in front of me.

"This is your last chance Bella. Join me or regret your decision for the rest of your miserable existence" He threatened.

I snorted and pushed back at him, making sure I was in his personal space, just like he was trying to be in mine.

"Listen and listen close. I will NEVER be with you. I would rather die then be with you."

He let a growl escape his lips. But then put on a cocky face.

"Oh now now Bella. Simmer down." he scolded teasingly.

"I would never want to hurt you. Physically." He countered himself, smirking in the process.

"Now, your wolves. They are a very different matter." he pondered, pacing around me in a circle once again.

"I wonder how you will feel when you are all alone. And that boy you are dating. The black wolf."

I looked at him shocked. _He knew what they looked like in wolf form?!_

"Oh yes Bella. I know them all." It was like he was reading my mind. And I didn't like that one bit.

"You have no idea how much I cant wait to see myself and my new found friends rip up your loved ones into tiny little pieces." he sneered in my face.

I looked over to the man and found her smirking.

"That would be fun." he taunted.

I glared at him. "You know what else would be fun? Seeing you burn in hell." I held as much disgust and venom in my voice that I could handle.

The man took a battle stance and began to snarl at me.

"Just wait till I send a powerful overload through that skinny human body of yours. Then we will see who is in hell." he threatened.

I noted to myself that that must be his power.

I turned to James annoyed by the Jamaican vamp.

"What is he? A person to do your dirty work?"

James growled at me, and I saw his hands curl into tight forceful fists.

"Or maybe I should leave them hanging by a string. Figuratively of course. I could leave them on the brink of the death. That could be fun." he shot in a hard cold tone.

"Just watching them beg to have me kill them. Or better yet, you." he countered.

"Ah, what a lovely sight that would be. Having your friends beg for them to have you kill them. Wouldn't it be Laurent?" James asked behind him.

"Beautiful." Dreadlocks, or Laurent I should say, said.

I felt sick to my stomach. I must have taken my eyes off him for a second because before I knew it he had me up against a tree with his hand around my neck and my feet dangling in the air, kicking against the tree.

I wrapped both my hands around the one he had on my hand and he smiled at me.

I couldn't breath. My head began to pound and I felt my insides burn.

He took his other hand that wasn't on my neck and brought it up to his eyes.

"Ahh, so you got my message." he smiled.

It was the wrist that had the scarred words saying 'soon.'

"Now Bella, I thought you would have taken my threats more serious." he tisked.

He relieved his death grip around my neck just a bit.

"Let's leave it at this. Come with me, or start a war and watch everyone you love die."

He let his hand go and I dropped down on the forest floor. I covered my hand around my wrist and coughed.

"Now, you wouldn't want to watch your loved ones die Bella, and know all of their deaths were on your hands?"

He grabbed my hair and my eyes filled with tears of pain. He made sure I was to look at him.

"Watching me rip up your mutts like shreds of paper. The howls of pain. Or would you call it screams?" he asked, smiling as I winced at his tugging force on my hair. He watched me, waiting for my tears to pour down my cheeks. Then he looked up from me and inhaled a deep breath of the forest air.

"Ahh, the smell of your house pets. I must go Bella, but think about my offer now wont you darling?"

He backed away and winked at me before teleporting away.

I was still regaining my breath when the pack found me. I saw Sam quickly come up to me in human form.

"Bella!?" he asked concerned. He swept his eyes over my body and I kept my hand over my neck. _Geez that hurt._

"Bella are you ok?" he tried looking into my eyes, but I kept darting away from them.

I nodded my head and started to get up.

Sam grabbed my arm and helped me up.

"What happened?" he asked pulling me to him.

I rubbed my throat again and looked up at him.

I could feel him go stiff and smell the air.

"Do you-..."

He stopped and looked into my eyes. He looked into them for a moment, like he was trying to find an answer, but then shook his head.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, guiding me out of the woods.

"Yea, I'm fine." I tried stating as calm as possible. On the inside. I was freaking out. More like in over drive of panic, but same thing I guess. I walked through the woods, making sure to stay in pace with him. I didn't need or want James or Dreadlocks to come out and hurt him.

"Bella." He stopped at the edge of the woods and looked at me. I knew the way he said it, it was a warning tone to tell him the truth. I also knew that he knew I was lying but I really didn't want to go over this with him.

"Hey, look. I got the list." I thought for a second, hoping for a distraction and then smiled, pulling the handy little note from my pocket.

He looked at it and then me and then took it.

I grabbed his hand, entwining it into mine and then guided him back to the house.

"You should be happy to know, it only took me about 20 minutes to find the colors I wanted." I boasted.

Most of the time, choosing certain things took me a while. There were so many choices, brands and colors, I always did research which took a lot of time.

He chuckled a little, and I felt the tension float away.

We walked out of the woods to his car.

He spun me around so I was wrapped in his arms and our chests touching.

He then slowly leaned his head down and kissed my lips ever so slightly.

"Mmm" I said with my eyes closed as he pulled away. I was savoring the moment. Geez!

When I opened my eyes I could see him looking down at me smiling away.

"See you soon." I said and started to pull away. I walked up the steps to the porch and turned back around towards Sam.

"What happened to a goodbye kiss?" he asked pouting.

I laughed. "That was it."

"I thought that was Hello?" he asked smiling.

"Well it's also goodbye." I smirked back.

"Bella." he whined, drawing out my name.

"Sam." I said matching his tone.

"Hello and goodbye are two different things." he claimed.

"Not in Hawaii." I countered.

"You know, you could have left and almost been at the paint store by now." I claimed.

"And you could have given me a goodbye kiss by now."

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Go Sam. Maybe if you are lucky I will give you two kisses when you get home." I teased.

He rolled his eyes; flashing me a grin as he went to get into his car.

"See you soon Baby."

I waved to him and watched him pull out of the drive way and drive off before going inside.

I sighed; closed my eyes and leaned my body against the door. My hands went to my throat and I shook my head. I should have done something.

I opened my eyes and headed upstairs to the bathroom.

I turned on the light and stood in front of the mirror.

The damage to my neck wasn't so bad. There was a slight light red hand print that was made across my neck, but it was nothing I couldn't heal.

I fisted my hand and waited for the shining light to glow. When it did, I brought it up to my neck and watched the mark disappear in the mirror.

After I made sure it was no longer visible I went to my room to change. My clothes were wet and slightly muddy from the forest floor.

I walked down the steps and set my clothes on the washer reminding myself to wash them later.

When I walked into the kitchen and looked out the window, I swore I saw a wolf.

_Did Sam tell them to come around here?_  
Panic struck me then.

_What if James and Dreadlocks were out there?_

I raced out of the kitchen and flung the door open, only to find Sam with new paint brushes in his mouth, a bunch of paint cans in his hands and a stunned look on his face.

When he saw the look on my face, he quickly set them down beside him and took my face in his hands.

"Are you ok?" he asked concerned.

I nodded. "I just...I thought I saw something."

He nodded and looked at me a little while longer, just making sure I was ok.

"Have any problems with the paint?" I asked while helping him take them into the house.

"Nope." he told me as we set them all down on the kitchen table.

"Good. Then let's get going!" I said excited. I held out my hand for him and then Bam! We were back at my place.


	4. Home away from Home

I smiled as Sam took it all in.

"Wow, its gorgeous." he gushed.

My smile lit up even wider.

"I know. Pretty perfect huh? I guess research does come in handy."

I laughed when he rolled his eyes at the comment.

"So are you going back to get the paint and stuff?"

"Nah." I said.

I looked as confusion crossed his face.

I quickly thought about the paint cans, brushes and everything else that was sitting on the kitchen table back home and Poof. It was right there on the floor by us.

He looked shocked for a second and then smiled.

"Oh, I almost forgot." I exclaimed and then 'poof-ed' over all my frames and stuff I bought at the store.

We started with the living room since it was the biggest.

We laid down a white sheet so the paint wouldn't get on the floor and then got to work.

As Sam was stirring the paint to pour into the tray, I grabbed my radio and put on some music.

We laughed and messed around, not taking this painting so seriously.

Sam and I would write comments on the wall in paint; belted out words to some good songs on the radio, and had a paint war with each other.

Not long after we completed the living room, we did my bedroom.

Of course, it took us longer than the living room did because Sam started another paint war.

The only difference this time was I was in it for revenge.

He swiped my arms a few times, but I made sure to get some nice blue paint on his face and chest. When we were covered with paint, we both called a draw, but looked at each other on more than one occasion because we didn't trust each other.

By the last and final room (the guest room) Sam and I were full out wet with paint.

I decided to disregard my draw with Sam on the war; I stuck my hand in the paint tray and quickly stood up on my tip toes to brush my hand through his hair.  
He stepped back shocked, and I laughed as I saw the green paint in his hair.  
"Oh this is war." he claimed and then dove to stick his hand in the tray himself.  
I giggled and screamed, running around the room, trying to get away from him.  
Unfortunately, he caught me with his arm and wiped paint all up my leg to my thigh. (I had shorts on, fyi)  
I shrieked and kicked to get free but I was having no such luck.  
"Sam!" I squealed, laughing as we swung around in circles.  
When my feet touched the ground again, I quickly ran off to the paint try and dipped both hands in.  
Then I ran to him and jumped into his arms.  
Of course he caught me as I latched my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck and spun me once again.  
I felt the paint drip onto my arms as I hugged him tightly.  
When we both pulled back to look at each other, he looked at me, and then leaned in and kissed me.  
We were both breathless when we parted and I jumped down.  
Forgetting momentarily that I had wet paint still on my hands, when he wasn't paying much attention, I hugged myself to him and slapped my hands on the butt of his pants.  
I flashed him a quick smile and then ran off knowing paint was coming my way soon.  
The evening was a fun filled day, full of passion and love. It was something I would always remember and I knew from then on, I would love painting.  
We didn't bother cleaning up at my place, instead we just cleaned up our mess, being careful of the walls, and then going hand in hand back home.  
I teleported us to Sam's house and we both heard all of the guys in the kitchen downstairs.  
"What are they doing here? Did you give them a key or something?" I murmured.  
He laughed and kissed my nose, which was probably covered in paint.  
He took my hand and walked downstairs to see the guys.  
"Hey Guys." I announced happily to them.  
The pack turned around and looked at Sam and me and went silent.  
"What the hell happened to you guys?" Jake asked.  
Sam and I looked each other and smirked.  
"I don't see anything." I announced and went to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.  
"Are you blind?" Paul asked, obviously not picking up on my sarcasm.  
I rolled my eyes and took a swig of my water. When I was done, I skrewed the cap back on and leaned back against the counter.  
"It's called sarcasm Paul." Sam said and went to cuddle with me.  
We all chuckled at Paul's expense, and I handed the cold bottle to Sam.  
He gladly took it out of my hands and gave me a quick kiss of appreciation on my neck before drinking the rest of the water.  
"So what were you two up to?" Leah asked.  
I shrugged my shoulders. "It's a secret."  
Everyone rolled their eyes at Sam and I.  
"Well its obvious it has to do with 6496 Oceanside, 4652 Inland, and 6839 Kimono Violet." Kim said.  
We all looked at her like 'what?'  
"Damn Jared, your girl really knows her colors." I announced.  
I laughed as Kim buried her head into Jared, blushing furiously.  
"It's not my fault I like to research colors and such." Kim countered popping up from Jared's shoulder to stick up for herself.  
"Babe, its one thing to know colors, and another to know names and numbers. I thought Paul and Emily were supposed to be moving in with each other." I said jokingly.  
She rolled eyes. "Yes. But that doesn't mean I can't look. I enjoy doing it. It's like you and book searching."  
I fake gasped. "Are you making fun of me and searching books online?!"  
Everyone was having fun just listening to our bickering.  
"Only if you are making fun of me and my paint searching."  
"More like paint memorizing." I mumbled.  
She glared at me and I gave her the most angelic smile.  
All of the guys laughed when I tried to let my words slide past her by giving her the 'Bella smile'.  
"Love you Kim." I dragged out.  
She laughed and smiled at me.  
"Love you too Bella. And I must say, those are very nice colors."  
I busted out laughing at her odd compliment.  
"Thanks Kim."  
We all hung around for a while longer before I found it was getting late and I was getting increasingly hungry.  
"Can we order some food now?" I whined.  
"Sure baby. What did you want to get?" Sam answered kissing me on the cheek.  
"I don't know. But food sounds good." I said twisting my neck to look at him.  
He flashed me a smile and kissed me on the lips.  
"What do you boys want?" Sam asked the guys.  
They all began to shout their answers at us all at once and I laughed.  
"Nicely done Sam." I complimented, and then pulled out of his embrace.  
"Where are you going?" he whined.  
"I have to go grab my laptop and then work on this thing for my cooking class. I should be done when the food gets here."  
"Ooo, can we see Bella?" Leah asked, along with Kim and Emily who was looking excited.  
"Sure." I said and walked up to the guest bedroom where my laptop and stuff was.  
I turned it on and then showed the girls my assignment.  
We had this program that gave us the ability to create a visual cake; it's kind of like making a visual model, with dimensions and all, and we get to add what we want.  
They were really amazed at what the program could do, and they helped me build my cake.  
I was impressed about how insightful they were and the ideas they were coming up with.  
"Wow guys. This looks amazing. Thank you." I said stunned at the wonderful teamwork.  
I looked at them and Leah and I laughed at Kim and Emily's daze.  
"Wow, who knew you could do all that?!" Emily said happy.  
"Bella, that was awesome. That program is so cool!" Kim exclaimed excited. She was bouncing up and down and squealing like a little girl. We all laughed as we walked out from the guest bedroom.  
"Yea, I must agree with Kim. That was cool. Anytime you need more help on that kind of homework we would be glad to help." Leah offered walking down the steps.  
I nodded. "I would like that."  
Leah jumped on Jakes lap and laughed when he huffed.  
Kim went back to Jared, smiling like a fool.  
Emily went over to Paul gracefully and sighed in content.  
Me on the other hand, I just went over to Sam and gave him a kiss.  
"What's gotten into you?" Jared asked Kim. Paul looked at Emily kind of funny too.  
"What have you done to our girlfriends?" Jared and Paul asked Leah and I.  
Of course, Leah and I just laughed as Kim and Emily was still on cloud whatever because of the cool cake program.  
"I have this cool program on my laptop for my cooking class." I explained.  
"Move over Jared. I think Kim has a new love." Leah pointed out.  
"You too Paul." I told him.  
We laughed as we heard Jared and Paul growl. They were jealous of a computer program.  
The food finally got here, after it felt like hours.  
I practically attacked the taco man as he handed us the boxes of food.  
Sam came behind me to give the man his money and helped me bring in it all.  
I let everyone else grab their own food as I sat on the counter chowing down my tacos.  
After we all finished eating, we sat in the living room kind of bored.  
"Let's have a bon fire." Emily exclaimed.  
Everyone looked at her.  
"Now?" Seth asked.  
"Yea, now." she said happy.  
I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm up for it."  
Everyone else shrugged and we headed out to the backyard.  
Seth and Embry started the fire, while Collin and Brady went to go get some more firewood from the side of the house.  
"Sam. Where are the marshmallows?" Emily whined from the back porch of the house.  
"Somewhere in the pantry." he shrugged.  
"I can't find them." she whined.  
Paul rolled his eyes and got up to help her.  
A little while later we saw Emily come out huffing.  
"What wrong?" I said looking at Emily and Paul.  
"Cant find the marshmallows." he answered for Emily, holding her tight.  
I rolled my eyes.  
"Cant you just 'poof' them Bella?" she asked me.  
I raised an eyebrow. "'poof' them?"  
She rolled her eyes at my mocking tone. "You know, just make them appear."  
I sighed. "I would Em, its just...if I can't see them or somehow know where they are I don't. I mean, it's not like I can't, its just I have no idea where they come from ya know? And I don't like the fact that I could be just stealing those kinds of things."  
"Why not? It's not like it hurts anyone." she said.  
"Maybe not, but I still don't like how wrong it feels. To just abuse my power like that. Don't get me wrong, I do do it sometimes, I just don't like to create a habit of it."  
"So can you just get me the marshmallows just this once?" she asked batting her eyelashes at me.  
I rolled my eyebrows and 'poof-ed' them.  
"Here." I said passing them to her.  
She squealed and grabbed me into a hug.  
"Thank you!" she said and went to go find some skewers.  
"Thanks." Paul said to me.  
"Yup." I responded and enjoyed laying by the fire with Sam.  
After a bag of marshmallows and lots of laughter, we all settled down.  
"Hey Bella, can you sing us another song?" Seth asked.  
"Umm, sure." I said. I thought about my guitar back at my apartment, and then there it was right in my hands.  
I took it out of the case and then began to strum it.  
What to play? I thought while biting my lip.  
"Play one of the ones you created from that book." Sam encouraged.  
I looked at him shocked. How did he know about my song book?  
"It was on your desk Baby. It said 'Song Book.'" he smirked.  
I rolled my eyes, but took his advice.  
I started strumming the strings to the familiar melody I made up.  
(Song: **The Only Exception- Paramore-** _Like always, please just pretend its Bella who made up and sang this_,_ but all credits really go to Paramore and whoever else.)_

When I was younger  
I saw my daddy cry  
And curse at the wind  
He broke his own heart  
And I watched  
As he tried to reassemble it

And my momma swore that  
She would never let herself forget  
And that was the day that I promised  
I'd never sing of love  
If it does not exist

But darlin,  
You, are, the only exception  
But, you, are, the only exception  
But, you, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception

Maybe I know, somewhere  
Deep in my soul  
That love never lasts  
And we've got to find other ways  
To make it alone  
Or keep a straight face

And I've always lived like this  
Keeping it comfortable, distance  
And up until now  
I'd sworn to myself that I'm content  
With loneliness

Because none of it was ever worth the risk, but

You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception

I've got a tight grip on reality  
But I can't let go of what's in front of me here  
I know your leaving in the morning, when you wake up  
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream

Oh

You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception

You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception  
You, are, the only exception

And I'm on my way to believing.  
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing.

I ended and then put down my guitar.  
"Wow." Quil said pretty much speechless.  
Everyone else nodded their head stunned.  
I started to feel uncomfortable.  
"Yup." I put my guitar back in its case and sneakily 'poof-ed' a bag of marshmallows in there.  
While everyone was still stunned, I opened the bag quietly, still pretending to put away my guitar. Then I swiftly stood up and threw a bunch at everyone.  
They ended up hitting Leah, Jake, Seth, Embry, Kim and Jared.  
I smiled as they looked at me stunned.  
"Where-..?" Seth began to ask, when he saw me standing with a new bag of marshmallows in my hand.  
"No fair!" Embry whined.  
I just grinned again and threw another handful. Only this time, they used their wolf skills and caught them.  
The evil grins spread from each of our faces and we ran around picking up the marshmallows.  
I gave them each a nod and we all through the marshmallows at Sam.  
After the flying white puffs of sugar stopped hitting him, he gave us a glare.  
We all waited for what he was going to do next.  
He suddenly bent down and picked up a bunch of marshmallows and threw them back at us.  
We all started screaming and running around, having a huge marshmallow war.  
Most of us were on lying on the grass laughing hysterically just moments after chasing each other like crazy.

I laid there, just looking up at the stars and catching my breath.

"That was awesome." Kim said plopping herself next to me.

"Hell yea!" I said laughing.

Soon Leah came and laid down next to us, joining our conversation.

Then Sam came, and then Jared and so on.

Before I knew it, all of us were laying in a line just looking up at the stars.

"Look the Big Dipper!" I announced.

"Where?" Leah asked from my right.

"There." I said closing one eye and pointing to it with her finger.

"And then there is the little dipper. And Orions Belt, and Orion, and Orions nebula, and the Seven Sisters." I said, pointing to all of them.

"How do you know all of these?" Leah asked amazed.

I shrugged and turned back to the stars.

"I took an astronomy class back in Arizona. I loved it. I had a really great teacher. He was really funny and understood what it was like to be a kid. So when he taught the class, you really got it ya know?"

Leah stared at me in amazement, and I felt a blush shine on my cheeks.

I let out an embarrassed huff and turned back to the stars.

They were breath taking against the dark black sky.

"You know. You never really get to appreciate the stars." I claimed thinking out loud.

"I mean, they are constantly there, almost every night, shining brightly. But we never have a second thought about them. We never truly look at them; watch them." I said with passion.

"We never actually appreciate it." I sighed feeling my phone vibrate against my butt.

I quickly wiggled around, getting it out from my back pocket, still looking at the stars. I finally got it free and flipped it up to answer it, not paying any attention to who was calling.

"Hello?" I asked slightly annoyed.

"Bella?" Carlisle asked concerned.

I immediately softened, feeling guilty I was using a harsh tone with him.

"Oh hey Carlisle. Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's no problem Bella. Did I catch you at a bad time? You can call me back if you would like." He offered.

I smiled and appreciated his kindness.

"Thank you for your offer, but I'm free to talk. I was just watching the stars."

"Well, the reason I called to talk was to see how you would feel about practicing your emotions and their levels, maybe some combat too if your up to it."

"That sounds great. We all know I need it. When were you thinking?"

"Well maybe tomorrow, around 12ish should we say?"

"Yea, that sounds great. But how are you going to get me to go all PMS-y on you without me using my powers?" I asked slightly confused.

"Oh, well we will have Jasper. So he can do that, along with the combat."

"Oh, ok. Well everything sounds good. Did I need to bring anything?" I asked no longer paying much attention to him.

"Nope. Just yourself. See you tomorrow Bella."

"Ok, bye Carlisle. Tell the family hello for me." I said happily.

"I will, and please give the pack my thanks." He said in a very grateful voice.

"Will do!" I said and then we hung up.

By now, most of the guys got up and started playing some other games. I could hear the girls starting karaoke and the guys laughing.

I stared at the stars a little longer, just laying there content when I felt an arm around my waist and a muscular body against my side.

I tore my eyes away from the midnight sky and found Sam propped up on one arms smiling at me.

"What?" I asked not seeing the point in his overly happy mood.

"Nothing, I was just watching you."

I looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Right." I prolonged the word and just shrugged shaking it off.

My attention went back to the stars.

I let out a tiny giggle as Sam began to kiss my ear and cheek.

"Sam." I laughed, pushing him by the shoulder away from me.

"That tickles." I said huffing and smiling.

"Oh does it now?" he asked, brushing his fingers against my face.

"yes." I said rolling my eyes as he watched me with those ooey gooey eyes.

"How 'bout this?" he asked and then poked my side.

I let out a squeal/laugh and he chuckled.

"Stop. Or else." I said in a light threatening tone.

He raised his eyebrows, still a light teasing attitude in his eyes.

"Or what?" he asked, leaning his body against me, brushing his warm silky breath across my ear.

I pulled back a little to look at him. He had a good point. Or what?

I smiled, thinking of a thought.

"Or this." I said and leaned my body back into his and captured his lips in mine.

The kiss seemed to last forever. Our tongues fought for dominance and our groans seemed to be unsuppressed.

"Would you both please stop snogging each others face off?!" Paul yelled from a distance.

Sam and I both pulled away from each other to glare at him.

He quickly gave a huff and went over to the girls who were still doing karaoke.

"Well, that was interesting." Sam said in a deep husky voice.

I let out a small chuckle. "Yea, very."

We stared at each other a while longer, just being caught up in the moment, before we were yelled at by everyone to come and join their game of karaoke.

By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted and ready to go home. Sam put his hand on the lower back, guiding me back to the back door.

I gladly went, but then remembered Charlie. I sighed, turning back to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I should probably go home."

I muttered while standing on the top step, making me come almost face to face with him.

"Why?" he whined.

"Well, I have been home for a day, and I should see Charlie."

He whined and lowered his head towards my neck.

He began nipping at the skin while giving occasional kisses.

"Do you have to?"

I sighed, unwrapping my arms from his neck; I placed my hands on his shoulder blades and pushed him away to look at me. We both had sulky faces, but I needed to be the bigger person here.

"I need to go Sam. I should go see Charlie."

He gave me a quick kiss on my lips and nodded. "Alright, I can drive you."

I smiled at him and dragged him into his house.

"Ok, just let me go get my stuff really quick."

I ran up the stairs and headed for the guest room. I made sure I had everything before zipping up the bag and trotting down the stairs.

Sam was at the bottom step, twirling the key ring with his finger, waiting for me.

"Ready?" he asked me and took my bag.

"Yup."

We walked out the door hand in hand; he was the perfect gentleman- opening up the car door, taking my bags.

Man, I was one lucky girl.

"What are you thinking about?" he grumbled while taking quick glances towards me as he was driving.

"Oh not much." I said trying to prolong the time. I didn't need him to know I was thinking about him.

"Mmmhmm, well care to tell me anyways?" he asked sweetly, taking my hand in his.

I smiled and thanked the heavens when he pulled into my driveway.

I leaned in and gave him a sweet kiss and pulled away.

"Nah." I said and quickly slid out of the seat.

I got all the ay to the front step of the porch when hands grabbed me and pulled me back.

"Even if I beg?" he asked in a husky voice.

Shivers ran down my arms and my heart began to race.

I felt a small chuckle and turned to face him.

"That's just evil."

He shrugged. "Well I think it would be just as evil if you didn't tell your boyfriend what you were thinking." He protested.

I rolled my eyes and looked at him. He gave me the puppy dog eyes and I caved.

"You. I was thinking about you." I huffed. That was evil too.

"Oh really? Now what about me were you thinking about?" he asked, bringing out bodies closer to each other.

He smiled down at me coyly.

"What a gentleman you are. Perfect boyfriend." I muttered against his soft lips I was giving small kisses to.

He groaned and took my lips in his, making the kiss last as long as we could without needing oxygen.

"See you tomorrow? Before I have to leave?" I looked up at him hopeful.

"Of course. What time do you have to go?" Sadness flashed through his eyes, but was quickly masked away.

"Don't know. Around dinnertime maybe? I need to work on a few more things, but maybe I will do that tonight so I can stay longer." I whispered, cuddling up to him more.

"good." He said hugging me tight.

The two of us didn't want to let go, but eventually we did. I finally dragged myself to the house and Sam finally made it to the car and drove back home.

"Hey Charlie!" I said closing the front door.

"Bella?!" he asked surprised.

"Yea?" I asked setting my stuff down. Something weird was going on.

Then before I could think anymore of it, Charlie and Sue came towards me, looking a little disheveled I may say.

"Hey Sue." I said surprised.

"Bella, it's good to see you. How's college?" she asked giving me a quick hug.

I looked between the two, still thinking. Were they just…

I gave a small shudder and quickly removed the thought from my mind. No way was I going to start thinking of what they were doing.

"It's good. I really enjoy it. I have a really nice place too." I said.

"Welcome home Bells." Charlie said giving a kiss on my head.

The three of us stood there, just waiting for the awkward silence to pass.

"Alright, well I am going to head up and go to bed. I have some work to finish and it's been a long day, so goodnight dad. Night Sue." I said nodding to both of them.

"Night Bella!" they both shouted, going back to the living room, giggling like horny teenagers.

I shuddered again. My dad. Horny. With Sue.

_Oh Heavens, please don't let me hear them if they are going to be doing the nasty._

I pleaded in my head as I walked up to my room.

When I finally made it, I quickly shut the door and turned on some music.

I put my stuff on my bed and then got to work.

I had to finish typing up a paper explaining the cake I made, and an occasion it would be used for, and much more. After that I wanted to work on the picture frames for my place which I was hoping wouldn't take much time.

It was around 2am that I finally finished the 10 page paper double spaced and got to start working on the frames.

I slid the black shoe box from under my bed, and took out the pictures. I had gathered some pictures I printed out a while ago. Some were really old, back in the old days where there was a smaller gang. Then there were a lot that were newer. Some were with Sam, while others were with the pack or individually.

I loved them all. Each picture had a special memory or funny story that made me chuckle out loud a tad.

The pictures were all finally placed in the frames. They looked amazing. I couldn't wait to hang them.

I turned towards the clock and found it almost 5am!

I quickly scurried up from the place on the floor, not bothering to pick up the mess I was working on and got ready for bed.

When my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light dreaming about tomorrow.


	5. Training Day&Comfort from the Unexpected

The next morning, I woke up to someone shaking me.

"Bella?" the man whispered.

I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. It was too early and I was freakin tired.

"Bella, are you ok?" the man asked me.

I tried to ignore the mans pestering questions, but he wasn't having any of it.

He pulled the covers off my head and moved my hair out of my face.

"Bella." He said in a sterner voice this time.

I groaned and then my eyes fluttered open.

I then came face to face with a bright and awakened Sam.

"Hey." He said smiling at me.

I gave a small smile and the rolled over to go back to sleep.

"Heyy." He whined as my back faced him.

"Go away Sam. I'm tired. I need some sleep." I mumbled, now putting a pillow over my head.

"But its already 2pm. What time did you get to bed?" he asked concerned.

"'round 5" I muttered.

I laid there, with my eyes closed and then I jumped.

"Shit!" I yelled and jumped out of bed.

"What?" Sam asked panicked.

I ran out of my room and began to brush my teeth.

"I was supposed to meet Carlisle today at like noon!" I yelled to him.

I quickly spit out the minty foam from my mouth and grabbed some water. After I squished it all around, I brushed my hair a bit and then stuck it up into a high ponytail.

I rushed back to my room and took out a pair of skinny jeans.

"You're going with the bloodsuckers?" Sam growled.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a black short sleeved shirt.

"He's not going to hurt me or anything. He is going to help me practice my stress levels and stuff…" _like combat moves._ I thought to myself.

"Nothing else?" Sam asked not truly believing me as I didn't look at him.

"Ummm…sure?" I squeaked.

"Bella." He growled as I tried to turn his body around so I could change.

He stood there; facing the window as I quickly stripped and put on some clothes.

"I will be fine. Don't worry. I just have to learn some things and then we will be fine. Actually, I was hoping we could talk." I said now grabbing my flip flops and rushing downstairs.

"About what?" he asked following me.

I gulped and took a breath. "Just about everything. James in particular." I whispered, hating myself. I should have told them sooner. I really need to work on keeping them up to date.

"What happened?" Sam asked, grabbing my arm to stop me from taking my pop tart out of the toaster to look at him.

"I just had an…interference with him. And I need to tell you what happened, and just fill you all in. But I can't do that right now, because I have to get going. I'm late as it is." I said giving him a quick kiss and grabbing my pop tart and heading out the door.

"Bella, I don't like this." He said holding me back from getting into my car.

I sighed and looked at him.

"Look Sam, I'm sorry for not keeping you guys filled in, it's just so hard…." I started but he stopped me.

"No, not that. We will get to that later." He said with a glare.

"I mean you going to a house full of vampires alone. I don't like it and I don't want it." He growled.

I rolled my eyes again, but sighed, knowing I should be patient and caring, just like he is for me.

"Look Sam. Its just Carlisle…and Jasper." I trailed off.

"But I will be fine. They are nice. And veggie vamps. If you would like, you can call me anytime. I promise to have my cell on me. And if I don't, I will be sure to give it to one of them so they can pick up your call and fill you in on whatever I seem to be doing." I compromised.

He sighed but still held on my arm. I thought he was going to give in, but he didn't.

"No, Bella I know you seem to trust them and all, but we don't. I don't. I'm not letting my girlfriend and the love of my life goes putting herself in danger while I sit back and twiddle my thumbs."

"Well technically you wouldn't be twiddling your thumbs since you are the Alpha of the pack…" I teased.

But when I looked up, he didn't seem to find it funny.

"Oookk. Look, if you want, then I will ask if you and the guys can come too. I'm sure that will be easier. That way I can fill all of you in at one time."

He nodded and kissed my head.

I got into the car and looked at him.

"You coming?" he asked.

He nodded and walked to the passenger side getting in.

We took off in no time and were on the way to the Cullens.

When we were halfway there I took out my phone and called them.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello?" Esme answered.

"Hey Esme. It's Bella." I said.

"Oh Bella dear. How are you? I'm guessing you are on your way here?" she predicted.

I smiled. "Yes, I'm doing great. How are you?"

"Oh I'm wonderful Bella, thank you for asking."

"Is Carlisle there?"

"Oh sure dear. Let me go get him. Sorry."

"It's no problem Esme. It was nice talking to you."

"Oh here he is. You too dear." She said sweetly and passed the phone to him.

"Bella." He said with relief.

"Oh gosh Carlisle. I'm so sorry. I fell asleep late last night and I forgot to set my alarm and it just slipped my mind." I gushed.

"Oh it's ok Bella. We were just worried something might have happened, but Alice saw you and said you were fine; you just slept in late."

"Oh. She saw me?" I said confused.

"Yes, I think she might have had a vision of you because you weren't with the wolves, or connected with them at the time." He explained.

"Oh ok. Well I should be there in like two minutes. But actually, I was wondering if the pack could join us? I have some things to explain to you guys and Sam was also a little protective of me coming." I explained this time.

"Sure thing Bella. We shall see you all soon." He said and then we hung up.

"All set." I said to Sam and then pulled into the Cullen's driveway.

Right when I got out of the car, I was brought into a breathtaking hug by Alice.

"Bella!" she shrieked in happiness.

I heard Sam growl behind me, but Ignored it.

"Hey Alice." I hugged her back.

"Bella Bean!" Emmett shouted from their front door. He and Rose were standing there, his arm wrapped around her waist.

He seemed happy to see me, waving and smiling, while Rose on the other had seemed angry and didn't seem to be happy.

"Hey Emmett! Rose." I said politely.

"Bella." Jasper said, nodding to me as he went over to stand by Alice.

"Welcome Bella." Carlisle said coming out of the house.

"Oh Bella, dear, it's so good to see you." Esme said hugging me as I walked up to their front door.

"Edward." I announced as he stood in the house, not really joining the crowd.

"Bella." He replied with a curt nod.

I knew he didn't hate me, and I didn't hate him, but I think we both couldn't decide if we liked each other as friends.

"Sam?" I asked, turning around as I stepped inside.

"Go ahead bells. I'm just going to go tell the guys to come." He reassured and then walked off to the woods.

I nodded and smiled.

He smiled back, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes.

_You're not mad at me are you? - __**I**__ asked him telepathically._

_No baby. Don't worry__**.**__ I just don't trust these bloodsuckers. - __**Sam**_

_Sam- __**I**__ warned._

_Sorry. I meant Vamps. - __**Sam**__ corrected._

_Ok, well I will see you soon. I think we are going to be heading into the backyard. - __**Bella**_

_Sam laughed and I knew he felt my confusion._

_Bella, I think you should start practicing on watching what YOU are doing. - __**Sam**_

_Huh?-__**Bella**_

_The Cullen's have been trying to get your attention for a few minutes now- __**Sam**_

_Oh! Why didn't you tell me sooner! Jack ass. - __**I**__ mumbled and then disconnected the link as he laughed at me._

"Bella!" Alice shouted in my face.

"Woah, Alice." I said.

"Geez Bella, we have been calling your name for like a few minutes now." She huffed.

"Sorry I was with Sam…I mean…well I was talking with him…but…I mean…" I stuttered, trying to form the right words.

"Don't hurt yourself there Bella." Emmett said roaring with laughter.

I gave up and rolled my eyes.

"So what first?" I asked turning to Carlisle.

"How about we deal with your emotions?" he said bringing me to the back yard.

"Alright." I said trying to release my tension.

"Ok, so Bella, I am going to have Jasper send you a wave of emotion, and I want you try and stay as calm as possible."

"And what if I can't?" I said nervous.

"Its ok Bella, I will make sure to start off slow and easy." Jasper said.

"We can go from there then." Carlisle said.

He had a clipboard full of paper and a pen in his hand.

I took another breath and nodded. "Alright. Let's get this started."

I watched Jasper as he tried to send me some emotion.

I waited, watching him and he became increasingly focused.

"It won't work Carlisle. I even tried it the highest I could go." He huffed.

"Put down your shield Baby" Sam commanded.

My head snapped over to the back door and found the whole pack standing there.

My nerves immediately calmed and I nodded to them, smiling.

"You have a shield?" Carlisle asked me.

"yea." I blushed.

I let the tension out of my body and let my shield down. I nodded to Jasper and waited for the emotion to hit me.

Suddenly I felt annoyed. I focused on my breathing and made sure I didn't loose control. It wasn't that bad…until Jasper went higher and higher and I was so angry I thought I was going to explode.

My head started to throb and my nose started to bleed.

I could hear the pack growling, but they didn't move.

"Focus Bella." Carlisle said calmly.

I bit back a rude comment and tried to focus on his words.

Calm Down. Calm Down. Calm Down. I yelled at myself.

Then, it stopped. The anger lessened and then I was back to normal. I stood there, gathering myself again. There was only just a little bit of blood that ran out of my nose but my breathing labored.

"Good Bella. Good." Carlisle said, almost sounding relieved. He marked some things on his clipboard and then we went again.

We tried fear and then sadness, which I both passed, but had some trouble.

I didn't know if it was because I was overly weak, or because the emotions were actually really taking a toll on me.

"Give her a break." The pack growled.

Carlisle was hesitant.

"No, its fine. Let go. What's next?" I huffed with my hands on my knees.

"Are you sure Bella?" Leah asked me coming up to me.

"Yea, I'm ok." I said giving her a slight smile.

"Well Bella, if you are up to it, I would like to do some combat training."

The pack growled and startled us all.

"Combat training?" Sam spoke up.

I gulped and his eyes narrowed at me.

Carlisle looked from me to Sam and back.

"How about I explain some things?" I offered, breaking the tension.

Everyone relaxed and nodded.

We all huddled into the living room and I didn't know where to sit. Of course I laughed.

The vamps were huddled on one side of the room while the pack was huddled on the other. So I decided to sit in the middle, making it the neutral side.

"Well, I guess I will start at the part when Catie called me."

I looked over at the Cullen's. "Catie is Embry's imprint and a close friend from back when I lived with Renee."

They nodded, understanding.

"So Catie called a few days ago. She was with Nate and Elizabeth."

I looked over to the Cullen's again. "Nate is my other close friend from back then, and Elizabeth is his fiancée" I said smiling at that word. It was weird to think they were going to be husband and wife.

"Bella." Jake interrupted my thoughts.

"Oh, right sorry." I blushed and everyone chuckled.

"So they were all together, and James found them. Usually that isn't a problem. We could always find a way to run if we needed to, but Elizabeth was there…and she is human. A normal human and she doesn't know about us."

"So your friends….They are like you?" Carlisle clarified.

I nodded. "Yes, Catie and Nate are. That's probably how we got so close. Around high school we all pitched in and got a place together. Of course, I was still living with Renee, but Catie and Nate stayed there because they both had some parent trouble."

I didn't even want to get into that. It was so dramatic and complicated.

"So James was there, but Catie was also telling me a vampire was with him. He was Jamaican and had dreadlocks."

"Do you know him?" Paul growled, interrupting. I looked over at Sam and gave him a look saying 'don't let him be rude!'

"Paul." Sam growled, silently telling him to back down.

"No, I'm sorry to say he doesn't seem familiar. Of course, we have run into our kind from time to time, but I would think that we would find his characteristics familiar." Carlisle said.

"His name is Laurent." I said.

"He is working with James for heavens knows what." I said frustrated.

"So what happened?" Jasper asked picking up on my frustration.

I looked at Edward and saw him grimacing. I found it strange because I hadn't said what happened, but then I realized my shield was still down.

_Crap_.

Edward's head popped up and he smirked at me.

I rolled my eyes and quickly made sure it was up again.

"Well, Elizabeth ended up getting hurt pretty bad. She has a pretty nasty scar because…" I ran my hand through my hair.

Gosh there was so much to explain.

"Alright, well Catie is ranked the lowest of the three of us. Then it was me and Nate was the most powerful."

"But…" Alice said.

"But it changed slightly. Nate and I seemed to have switched places. My powers have grown faster than his, and since we all have a different variety of powers, mine have become stronger or more useful."

"So let me get this straight. You have surpassed Nate, and the three of you don't have the same powers?" Emmett said amazed.

"Yes, well kind of. I mean we have the same basic powers. Like teleportation, telekinesis, the shield, healing, controlling the four elements, and more I guess. But other than that, yea; we all differentiate."

"So like I was saying, Elizabeth got hurt. She was scared and mad that Nate hadn't told her about her powers. Long story short, she ran and then I found her and told her what she needed to know and what I was there to tell her. I didn't convince her to go back to him or to accept us. That was her. She did it all on her own."

"But how does she have a big scar?" Quil asked.

"When Elizabeth got hurt, Nate went to go heal her but Catie isn't as strong as us, so she had some trouble fighting off a vampire and James." I took a breath.

"Truthfully we would all have trouble fighting off the two all alone. It doesn't matter how strong you are, James can mess with your head and doesn't even need his powers to do it.

So if she was to mess up, the vamp would be there to catch it and make most likely hurt or even kill her."

"Which is why she called Nate. So she would have more protection."

"What happened next?" Jared asked.

"That's it. It was fine. Nate went from being a wreck without Elizabeth to having her and being the happiest man alive. And Catie went from being annoyed and in pain from Nate, to being happy she could be in peace." I chuckled, along with everyone else in the room.

"What aren't you telling us?" Sam asked, squinting at me.

_Gosh darn it. He knows me too well._

I sighed and whispered ever so softly, I hoped they wouldn't hear me. "James found me."

"WHAT?" The pack asked standing up.

"I was in the woods. I was going to find Sam." I explained, not looking at anyone or anything anymore except my hands.

"And they both just popped up." I whispered.

"BOTH!" Everyone shouted, including the Cullen's.

"At first it was ok. James was just being his usual self by trying to convince me to be with him. Then it got a little physical."

I heard Sam growl and I bit my lip.

"He just shoved me up against a tree and saw my wrist. He smirked, enjoying his handy work. At first, I was fine but he knew you guys." I said to the pack.

They looked shocked, except for Sam who was ready to pop a vessel.

"He said he knew what you looked like, even in wolf form." I whispered shakily.

"Bella…" Jake started with a kind voice.

"H-he…." I sobbed.

Then, in that moment Rosalie came up to me and wrapped me in a hug.

When she let go of me, I could tell she had tearless sobs.

"I c-cant let you guys…..-" I choked on a sob. Rosalie brushed my hair out of my face and tried to get me to look at her, but I just looked away and down at my hands.

"Its not fair. I'm not going to let this happen." I said with a tad bit more of determination. I looked at everyone and took a breath.

"Y-you guys cant-….I need to-…." I tried, but my head wasn't forming words. Rosalie sat next to me and rubbed comforting circles on my back.

"This is about me. Not you. I need to do this. I'm going to do this." I said stronger.

"I'm not going to let you be apart of this. Especially now that he knows what you all look like." I said wiping my tears.

I stood up, and walked away from everyone. I needed air. I needed time to think, and with everyone there, crowding around in such a manner made me feel trapped and out of air.

"Bella." Sam said grabbing my wrist.

"Don't Sam." I said and pulled it out of his grasp. I felt a pang in my heart but I needed to get out of here and breathe.

"Bella please." Alice said while blocking the door. "Just let us help. I bet we could beat them Bella. Just have a little faith in us!" she pleaded.

I didn't dare look at her eyes, knowing how much my self preservation was already crumbling.

"Move Alice." I spoke softly. When she didn't I whispered in a desperate voice. "Please Alice."

She looked at me one more time before moving at vampire speed into Jaspers arms.

I looked over to them and saw Jasper giving me a sympathetic look. I gave him a small nod and walked out the door.

I quickly walked out of the door and away from the house. I needed to think. My legs moved faster and I ran my fingers though my hair.

I passed the green trees and felt the wet, muddy soil against my feet.

I stopped running when I got to the meadow, and slid down against the middle of the rock that looked like a 'U'.

I put my head in my hands and propped my elbows on my knees.

_How did this happen?_

_They are my family…my friends. I will protect them._

_No, its more than that._

_Not, I need to keep them safe. I need to keep them away from the war and away from James._

_What about Nate? And Catie? And Elizabeth?_

_Keep them safe. _

_And what if I cant?_

_No, I can. I will._

My mind bickered back and forth. I felt like there was a ping pong game going on in my head and I was just the bystander watching the ball go back and forth; watching the game unfold.

I sighed and tried to think of something else. But all my mind could do was go to James.

The scenarios of everything unfolded in my head. It was like I was going crazy.

My fears were overwhelming me and I felt like I was slowly drowning.

"Stop!" I shouted out loud. I accidentally let out a huge gust of wind out to everything around me.

I breathed heavily and listened.

Everything was quite. All I could hear was my heavy panting. I leaned my hands against the rock and bowed my head. _What was I doing? I'm losing it._

"Stop pushing us away Bella." A voice said.

I snapped my head around to find Jake standing there with only his short on.

He started walking towards me, but I took steps back.

"Stop Jake. Please. I don't want to hurt you." I said putting hand up as he walked closer.

"You're not going to hurt me Bella." He said walking closer and closer towards me.

"Jake." I cried as he was only a few feet away from me.

"Come here." He said and pulled his arms around me.

I cried, feeling as if I was loosing grip on my life.

"Just let us in Bells," Jake whispered while kissing my head.

"Just let us in." he repeated again before I blacked out.


	6. The Pressure and Guilt

When I woke up, I felt sore.

I groaned and my eyes fluttered open. I looked up to the white ceiling and tried to remember what happened.

We went to see the vampires…and then we talked…we talked…_oh man._

I groaned remembering everything suddenly.

I pushed myself up and found everyone looking at me.

I was a little flabbergasted. Here was the pack of wolves and the vampires all huddled together in my room.

"Bella." Sam said relieved hugging me. He peeled his arms away and looked at me sadly.

"Bells? You ok?" he asked.

I swallowed and chose my words carefully.

"What are you all doing here? Where the heck-…" I asked out loud looking around.

I was in Sam's room. _Ugh, they took me back here._

I let my arms go and let my body fall back and my head plopped against the pillow.

"Bella, you passed out in Jake's arms." Embry said softly.

"What were you thinking?" Quil asked timidly.

I slowly got up once again, wincing slightly. "Excuse me?" I said coldly.

"Just because this is all about you Bella doesn't mean you get to pick and choose. Gosh darn it! You are driving everyone insane!" he escalated, getting up from his seat to yell at me.

I felt anger curse through me and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"One minute you are the kind sweet Bella we all know. The one we all have fun with. The next second you are Super Bella. Trying to save us from whatever. Trying to protect us from some dude who thinks he is superior to the world!" Quil yelled.

In a way, I was scared. Quil didn't usually blow up like this. It was odd to see.

"Quil." Paul said grabbing his arm to sit back down.

"Don't." I said as Quil continued to be red in the face and shake. Paul nodded to me and sat back down with Emily.

"Of course. Listen to Bella. The Alpha's mate. Because we all know how that relationship is working out."

"Excuse me?" I asked threatening.

"While you were passed out, Sam has been going crazy. He's been worried sick for you, like always. He's your mate Bella, not some boy toy you can just carry around." He said coldly.

I took in a breath. His words stabbed me deep.

"But please Bella, continue what you are doing. Drive us insane with your stupid excuses and fears because of course, we don't have any. The world revolves around you." He said harshly.

"Enough." Sam roared to Quil pulling him back to his seat as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"No its fine." I said to Sam.

Everyone looked to me, including a shaky Quil.

"You want to know why I'm trying to act like 'Super Bella' Quil? You want to step in my shoes?" I asked angry.

"You have no idea what it feels like. To drive yourself crazy." I said.

"I'm not giving any excuses for myself, and I'm not giving myself pity." I told him before he could think it.

"The way I treat you guys. I do it because if you were to ever get hurt, it would be on me. Everyone I care about has their life hanging by a thread. A thread that I seem to be holding. You can think that you have control of your own life, and that man James can't stop you. But he can. He can take every ounce of feeling you have till you go crazy. Love, Passion, Happiness. All of those would vanish. With the blink of the eye he could have you dead." I panted.

I looked at his expression and he was about to say some snarky comment, but I beat him to it.

"Think all you want. You can think you are strong enough. You can think you are more clever or faster or even bigger, but none of that matters. He finds flaws; Weaknesses. YOUR imprint, Claire, her life would be in your hands. Her destiny…her fate… all of that would lie in your hands. It would lie on your actions of how to pursue or on what you are to decide."

"Try dealing with that." I nodded to him. "Try seeing her and not finding a moment to look at her and not think about what you are going to choose. To know that you love her, and she loves you, but you can't truly express it….and the doubt you have, of not knowing if you will be able to protect her. That's how it feels." I said as I watched him pale.

"The helplessness. It doesn't go away, and it's never forgotten. The reminders always there, waiting for you to fear the inevitable. And when its not? Well, you know someone or something will always be there to help you go back down to memory lane." I said in a bitter voice.

"So yea, you may think I'm doing everything wrong and I'm hurting Sam. And damn, I know I am. Everyday is a constant reminder of how much I am hurting all of you. But I do it anyways, because all of you mad at me can't be as bad as never seeing any of you again. It's not as bad as knowing that I wouldn't get to see you smile, or laugh, or even speak. So blame me all you want, I don't care, but don't ever say I am doing it to hurt you guys, because you have no idea what the fuck you are talking about." I spat and pulled the covers off my legs.

I turned to have my feet dangle off the side of the bed and felt a rush of lightheadedness.

I needed air. I needed to feel like I was still alive, and I was free.

I stood up shakily and felt a rush of wind. I looked over and saw Alice holding my arm.

"Thanks." I murmured and began to walk to the door.

She helped me walk all the way down the stairs and outside to the porch. She nodded to me and then left me alone to my thoughts.

I took a few deep breaths. My whole body killed. I was aching all over and felt drained of energy. I leaned against the big wooden beams and closed my eyes.

"You know, you really should be resting in bed." A voice scolded me.

I opened my eyes and looked back. Standing there was Carlisle in a doctor coat with his arms crossed in a professional matter.

"Sorry Doc, it was just getting a little….stuffy up there." I said finding the right word to describe the crowded room.

He nodded to me and walked up so he was next to me.

I felt tired again as I stared out at the trees.

"Bella, look at me." He commanded lightly.

I turned my body and faced him.

"Do you remember when we did the training exercises with Jasper?"

I nodded. "Yea, of course."

"Then I want you to try it. Close your eyes and pretend I am not here. Whatever you are feeling, tune into it, and use it as energy. Say what you needed to say to yourself when we were practicing with Jasper."

I listened to his words as my drifted closed.

I focused on the anger…on the hate and sadness and I took in a deep breath from the chest.

_Whatever you are feeling…tune into it. Use it as energy._ Carlisle's words rang through my mind.

My eyebrows furrowed and I tried to concentrate harder.

_Tune into it…_

Before I knew it, I felt my body go light. It felt like I was floating. And I was warm…a lot warmer than when I was just a few minutes ago. It was like the sun was directly hitting me.

"Amazing." Carlisle breathed.

I let out a breath and returned to a calm state.

"Woah." I said with a head rush. I stumbled a few steps back, but Carlisle caught me by the arm to steady me.

"Un-…indescribable." He said breathless.

"What did you say to yourself?" he asked intrigued.

"I just kept repeating what you said to me. To tune into it and use it as energy, and I guess it worked." I shrugged.

He looked over at me, and I looked back to the trees.

"And how do you feel?"

"I feel….scarily calm." I laughed out with a huff.

He chuckled and the stress of everything seemed to vanish from the air.

Carlisle and I talked for a few more minutes, a stressful free conversation. He asked me about school and I made sure to telepathically tell him about the party I was going to have for Leah, and have him tell his family. He nodded, not saying a word.

When it was time to go inside the house for food, he looked at me, but fear crept up.

I looked between him and the door and shook my head.

"Go on without me. I think I am going to stay out here for a few more minutes." I said. "Or maybe just go home." I whispered under my breath.

I saw Carlisle's face turn from disappointed to something unreadable. It was like he wanted to scold me, yet he felt bad for me?

"Bella…." He began looking at his hands.

I analyzed his stance. It was nervous, tense if you might add. He seemed like he didn't know how to form the words he wanted to say without sounding harsh; so I saved him the difficulty.

"Look, I know you want me to go back inside there. And part of me wants to." I admitted looking at him.

"But I can't. I shouldn't have acted that way. I should have controlled my anger just like you showed me. I was stupid to even lash out like that. What I said in there…."

"Is how you felt Bella." Jasper said from the front door.

Carlisle and I both turned in surprise. We didn't hear him come out.

"Look, you can keep standing out here, punishing yourself for what you said, but it wont do any good." He pointed out.

"How do you…"

"Sam" Jasper said before I could say another word. I nodded, understanding.

"I can't face them." I said with tears in my eyes.

Jasper walked towards us and took Carlisle's spot, standing right in front of me.

"Bella, you did nothing wrong. Yes, you could have told them earlier and maybe you should have, but looking back on the past is not going to do anything. You can make a difference Bella. The way you lashed out, it wasn't because you wanted to. It was because you had to. The way you feel Bella, the emotions that run through you don't change; keeping them inside you for so long doesn't help either." He scolded lightly.

My cheeks blushed and I looked out to the woods.

"But you did nothing wrong." He stressed again.

"You said it because you were defending yourself. Nothing is wrong with that."

"No, I did it because Paul tantalized me. He got angry with me and I did something that I shouldn't have. I lashed back. I let my emotions rule everything and look what happened." I exclaimed.

"Maybe it's a good thing. Now they know something Bella. The way you keep them out, they take it for granted. They can finally know what you are feeling and why."

I nodded and wiped away my tears.

"Answer me this." He stated.

"Why don't you tell them everything you are going through? I thought being imprinted on was like being true to yourself and your mate. I got the impression that you bared your souls to each other."

I bit my lip. "Sam has a clean slate on that part. I don't know why I don't open up. I just guess I'm used to it ya know? I never really told Renee anything. I learned to keep it inside. After the split between my parents, I learned to put everyone before me. I made sure to keep everyone and everything together. Truthfully, I didn't care what happened to me. I just wanted to make sure everyone was happy. And being here, it was different. I take Sam for granted. I forget how much he supports me and cares. I forget how much he sacrifices to be with me."

He looked at me, trying to understand.

"So I hide it as best as I can. It hurts…so much that sometimes I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep forever. But I can't. Because knowing that I wouldn't be there if they were to ever get hurt, or to know that Sam would be hurting inside because of me, just kills me."

I took in a breath and looked at Jasper. "I know it doesn't make sense, and I know I seem like I am contradicting myself. And hell, maybe I am. But I just-…"

"Bella, its ok" Jasper said laying his hand on mine in order to calm down my frustration.

"Come on." He said guiding me towards the door.

"I-I…c-can't." I stuttered as he pulled me towards the door.

"Bella, you can." He reassured me.

I sucked in a breath and looked at the door. Jasper tugged my hand again and I looked at our hands. I took a few seconds and then let go of myself. I relaxed and allowed Jasper to pull me inside the house.


	7. Facing the Family

Jasper led me into the house, holding my hand and giving me a small smile of reassurance.

The house seemed quite- too quite. My heart was pounding in my ears and my breath was becoming labored.

He was guiding me into the family room, when I stopped.

"I can't do this Jasper." I panted.

"Bella, it's just the guys." He calmed me.

I shook my head as I felt the nerves get the best of me.

"No no no. I can't. I just need to breath. I just need some time alone. I'm so sorry Jasper. I just can't." I pleaded. He looked at me with those sympathetic eyes and I pulled my hand away.

I quickly ran up the stairs, not looking back. I ran into Sam's room and slammed the door shut.

I pressed my forehead up against the wood and panted.

_Why was I so afraid? Oh heavens…_

"Bella?" a voice asked.

I gasped and turned around.

There was Sam standing by his dresser shocked. He was dressed in a tight black tee shirt and baggy grey sweatpants.

"Sam." I breathed, my heart speeding up with nerves.

"Are you ok?" he asked stepping towards me concerned.

I shook my head, brushing away my fears.

"Yea, I'm good. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were in here." I apologized getting flustered.

"Its fine, I just finished putting away some clothes." He said turning back a little to show me.

I nodded and went silent.

The silence was there…it just floated in the air.

"So…. I better go." I said turning back to the door after what seemed like minutes. I turned the doorknob and opened the door but large hands stopped me from walking out.

"Bella, wait." He grabbed me and flipped me around so my back was up against the door, which was hit closed.

"We need to talk about this. You can't run away forever." He stated; cupping my face in his large warm hands.

"Sam." I said, fear evident in my voice. I looked away, not meeting his stares, no matter how hard he tried.

He sighed but held my face firmer.

Finally, I looked up at him. I gazed into those beautiful brown pools of love.

Within seconds my mouth was on his and I couldn't help but put all of my love into the kiss.

It was firm, hard and full of passion. It felt so raw and emotional- something Sam and I both felt.

His lips dominated mine as he pushed his rock hard body up against mine. My back slid against the wooden door as Sam moved his hands from my face to my legs, sweeping me up off my feet to wrap around his waist.

We broke the kiss just for a second to take in a breath. I ran my hands through his hair as he put his forehead to mine. His hands moved to my hips, holding me in place.

After a few minutes, I opened my eyes and looked at him.

His lips were pink and swollen while his breathing was hard and labored. His eyes were closed peacefully.

I brought my hands down from his hair and rubbed my thumbs across his temple.

His eyes fluttered open and met mine.

The grip Sam had on my hips lessened and I brought my feet back down to the floor. We kept each other in an eye lock, neither one of us daring to look away.

"I need to know…I need to make sure that you are ok. I-…"

"I'm fine." I cut in.

He shook his head and put some space between us.

"No, you are not getting away from this that easily." He told me in stern voice.

I sighed and leaned against the door.

"What do you want from me Sam?"

I tried sounding angry and fed up, but it came out as a pathetic whine.

"Look at me. Bella I want you to look at me." He commanded, leaning his body closer to mine.

I shook my head and the tears escaped my eyes.

"No." I sobbed.

"Bella." He said brokenly.

I shook my head again, breaking down in front of him.

"Why?" he asked so quietly I wasn't sure if I was hearing him correctly.

I sniffled and tried to calm myself down. "I-it h-hur-rts." I hiccupped.

"Oh Bella." He whispered, wrapping me into a tight hug.

I wrapped my arms under his arms and cupped his shoulders for dear life. I rested my head against his chest and cried my eyes out. He whispered comforting words to me and kissed the top of my head.

I remember Sam picking me up and sitting the both of us on the bed, with me in his lap.

What seemed like after hours, I finally calmed down and looked at Sam.

We stared at each other with wonder, compassion, and curiosity. It was a moment where time seemed to stop and everything faded away.

I brought my fingers up to his face, and traced his jaw line, lips, cheekbones, and eyes. Everything about him was so perfect.

"Bella, you need to know. I will never leave you." He said to me in such a strong determined voice.

I closed my eyes, telling my self to suck it up and don't let the tears fall.

"Can we just forget about what I said earlier? Cant we just push it off like before?" I asked.

He sighed. "No we can't, because this is eating you up inside. It's eating up all of us. We love you Bella. And all we are asking is for you to trust us."

"No, it's so much more than that." I countered.

"You're asking me to stay with you. You're asking me to love you with all my heart and expect everything to run its course. You're asking me to act human and let you all worry about the bad guys. But I'm not that person, and I can't do that." I explained.

"Whether you see it or not, you're asking me for more than just trust." I saw the hurt in his eyes and guilt swam through my heart.

"I love you with all my heart. I love all of you, but I can't just stand by and act like everything will turn out ok just because I have family and friends.

I know I have you guys and I appreciate that. It's just that…sometimes it's like you all forget what I am capable of. And you all act like you can just defeat James like he is some stupid ass vampire. But there's the catch. He is far from that. He's smart, and gifted, and is experienced." I sighed, knowing he was not going to like what I would have to say.

"And I know you all are hurt that I don't tell you things, but I cant. Because it's me that has to deal with the consequences."

He was about to argue with me but I stopped him.

"I know family is supposed to be there to help each other, but it's more than family. It's my destiny. This is what my life…and maybe my whole future is supposed to be like."

We sat in silence for a minute before he squeezed my hand to look up at him.

"I don't care if this is your destiny or how your future is supposed to be. You and always going to be the woman I love and part of the pack. Nothing can or will ever change that. So I'm asking you to trust us. I'm asking you to trust us, and to love us, and to let us be in your future; have a part of your destiny."

I was about to cut in, but he put a finger to my mouth.

"And in exchange, I promise to try and treat you like you were meant to be. And I will tell the guys too. I guess I just think of how fragile you can be and it scares me."

He hugged me tight to his body.

"Well, at least we have that mutual feeling about each other." I pointed out.

He laughed a bit and I felt a small weight lift off my chest. Everything was going to be ok.

I let my mind wander, and think about everything.

"I'm afraid that one day I will screw up so bad and I won't have you guys to help me pick up the pieces." I asked out loud.

I clamped a hand over my mouth, cussing at myself for saying that aloud.

He looked down at me shocked.

"Bella, that day will never happen. Sure you seem to mess up quite often, but you always seem to have such a reasonable and convincing reason, that it's hard to be mad. You make us realize how important we are to you; and how important you are to us. You make us see the world through different eyes." He said after a second of recovery.

"But…"

"No. there is no but's. It doesn't matter what you screw up on, we will always be there. No matter what. I promise." He stated.

I shook my head. "Don't make a promise you don't know if you can keep."

"I didn't. I know I can keep this promise Bella. Trust me." He said softly.

I took a breath and looked at him again. I nodded. "Alright."

We stayed there for a few more minutes before I began yawning.

Sam moved us so I was laying on the bed with him curled up behind me. I didn't bother going under the sheets since my personal space heater was right there.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you more." He whispered back, kissing me softly.

I was too tired to argue, so I just snuggled into him further and fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was dark. I groaned and turned thinking I was going to snuggle into Sam's body, but nothing was there. My brows furrowed and I slowly opened my eyes. Sam was no where to be found.

The door to his bedroom seemed to be shut, along with the curtains. I started to get up when I realized I was snuggled in a bunch of covers and blankets. I brushed some hair out of my face and climbed out of bed.

I walked over to the mirror and took a look at myself. I looked like a wreck. My hair was everywhere and my eyes were still puffy from crying.

I shook away my thoughts and went in his drawers for a pair of his boxers and white tee shirt.

When I was done dressing, I took a brush I kept in his room and ran it through my hair. Once my hair was smooth and clear of tangles, I set the brush back in its place and opened the door to head downstairs.

I walked slowly and quietly, just incase anyone was sleeping. I walked into the kitchen, but found it empty. So I headed into the living room.

Everyone seemed to be in there, including the vamps, who were still wide awake.

No one seemed to notice me, they were all in their own little world. By the looks of it, worry etched their face. I felt a little sad. Poor Jasper who has to deal with all the emotion. I scanned the room for him and found him in a corner with Alice on his lap; his head was against her back.

I quickly put a shield around him to stop his pain.

He must have felt the huge relief because he quickly looked up and scanned the room.

He took in a sharp breath and everyone went on alert. Everyone scanned the room and each other, making sure they were all ok. Then, they saw me.

Quil was the first one to get out of his seat.

"Bella…" he said sadly.

I put a hand up to stop him. "Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. It should be me who should be apologizing. I snapped and I shouldn't have."

I looked at all the pack and I saw their faces lighten up a little bit. My eyes finally casted upon Sam and I saw him in a recliner chair smirking at me a little.

"I want to start trying to trust you more." I blurted out.

The whole pack looked shocked.

I blushed a little, looking down at my hands in embarrassment. "I know I havent been doing a good job keeping you in the loop and I have been hiding things, but I want to-…no. I Need to try trusting you all better."

"So starting today, I am going to try and turn over a new leaf."

Everyone looked puzzled at the expression and I rolled my eyes. "I mean, I want a fresh start to try this whole trusting thing."

There were 'ooo's and 'got it's. I smiled a little, feeling happy that it would be this easy.

I pushed myself of the side of the doorway and walked over to sit on Sam's lap.

"Hi." I murmured.

He flashed me a bright smile. "Hi."

"So how long was I out?" I asked everyone.

"About 6 hours." Leah said.

I flashed her a small smile which she returned. Leah and I talked to each other for a little while everyone else has conversations among themselves.

"Thanks." Jasper cut in.

"Huh?" I asked confused. The chatter between everyone seemed to stop and all eyes were on us.

"For doing that shield thing while everyone was worried."

I nodded and laughed a little. "Its not a problem. I thought it would kinda be hard to deal with. Truthfully I couldn't imagine having to deal with that all day everyday."

He nodded. "Yea, its hard. But sometimes its worth it."

I looked at him puzzled.

"Of course I feel the emotions that are unpleasant. Fear, hurt, worry, anxiety. But I also get to feel the emotions that are so….wonderful." he tried to describe.

"I get to feel the happiness of others, the love, joy, the nervous butterflies that make you smile, and the comfort."

I was shocked. I didn't even think about putting it that way.

"oh, I didn't even think of it that way."

He smiled understandingly. "Its ok. Most people don't. But even so, I'm glad you helped me with the worry thing. Sometimes it just gets really hard to bare." He thanked me again.

"Anytime." I repeated, and we all went back to our random conversations.

Kim and I started talking, she was still telling me about that sweet cake program I showed her for school.

School. SHIT!

"Shit. What is today?" I said jumping up off of Sam's lap.

I looked at everyone and they all looked at their watches and tried to think.

"Sunday." Edward said confused. "Well…its more like Monday now, but it was Sunday."

I looked at him confused, when I saw the sun was starting to come up a little.

"Shit." I said and went to go grab my stuff.

"Bella?" Sam asked following me.

"Its Monday. I have class in the morning. I cant be late either." I yelled from his room.

"But you could just teleport there before it starts." He told me as I practically ran past him down the stairs.

"Yea. In this?" I asked, pointing to my attire.

He gave me a cocky smirk and everyone seemed to choke a laugh.

"I have to stop by my house to pick up storm and then go back up to my apartment up there and change and put my project all together." I told them as I put on my shoes.

"Alright. Well be safe." He told me and gave me a quick kiss.

"Will do. Bye everyone. Thanks for everything. Sorry I have to leave. I promise to be back as soon as possible." I told them, giving them all quick hugs and then stepping back to disappear.

When I teleported back into my room, I grabbed my overnight bag and quickly ran downstairs to grab my bike. I didn't have to worry about Charlie being home, Leah informed me our parents are getting closer than I thought. Apparently they are spending many nights together. Mostly Charlie at their place, so I figured he wouldn't be home. I quickly wrote a note to him, saying I had to go to back up to school but I loved him. After I set the pen back on the table, and scanned my eyes over the note one more time I ran outside, looking around to make sure no one was out.

When I thought the coast was clear, I put the bag over my shoulder and teleported me and my bike back to college.

I settled my bike back in its spot and then headed into my place to take a shower and change.

I took my time in the shower. I loved how warm and steamy it got. It felt so good. The warm water droplets hitting your skin as you closed your eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, I decided that I needed to hurry it up a bit. I quickly shampooed my hair and washed my body. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a big poof comfy towel around my body. I walked back into my room to get dressed, sticking my hair up in a messy bun with a chopstick so I didn't have to deal with it at the moment.

I dressed in jeans and a short sleeve shirt.

I headed back to the bathroom, taking out the chopstick and drying my hair with a towel.

When it was close enough to dry and headed to the kitchen to collect my homework and eat something.

I noticed the clock on the microwave reading 5:45.

Shit. I had to be in class at 6.

I used my powers to gather all my things while I grabbed a pop tart. When everything was in its place I grabbed my bag and ran out the door to my bike.

The bike started up with its loud purring. I kicked up the kickstand, revved the engine a little more and was off to class.

I had to ride my bike to class because since I picked my apartment off campus, and I could exactly just teleport in town, I had to use the bike.

It took me about 10 minutes to get to my class. First one, cooking. I started and ended my day with those classes.

After two hours passed by, I finally got to go to my martial arts class.

Before I knew it, I was back by the cooking block of the school and finishing my last class of the day.

I was exhausted. Today had been super busy and I had a huge load of work to do.

As I walked back to my bike, I pulled out my phone and texted Sam telling him I didn't know if I would make it tonight.

He said alright, but I better come tomorrow.

I agreed, sticking my phone back in my pocket and went home.

By the time I walked in the door, I was practically dragging my feet in exhaustion.

I plopped onto the couch, setting my bag down somewhere and fell asleep.

When I woke up again, it was around 8. I had been asleep for about 7 hours.

I groaned and rubbed a hand over my face. I needed to get started on this homework. Oh and Leah and Seth's party. Shit.

I quickly did all my work; it was easier than I thought. After that, I finished putting all the pictures in the frames and began to hang them all around. I loved them. I put a lot of them in my room, some of them in the guest room and the rest around the house.

After I was done, I checked the time and saw it was 11. I sighed. I needed to go to bed, but I had to finish this surprise thing.

I called Sam and found he picked up on one of the last rings.

"Hello?" he answered in sort of a gruff voice.

"Sam, are you ok?" I asked. A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Oh, did I wake you?" I asked sympathetically. Damn. I didn't even think about that.

"What? No baby. I'm out on patrol." He said.

"Oh oops." I said. "Alright, well you get back to being a dog and I will just talk to you in the morning, or leave you a voicemail or something. Oh! You know what, I will just call you at lunch then." I said thinking.

"Bella, Bella! Baby its fine. What did you need? Are you ok?" he asked this time.

I laughed at how we always assumed each other was in trouble.

"You know its sad that we always ask if each other are in trouble each time we call right?" I pointed out to him.

He laughed a little. "Yea, but maybe we just love each other so much we worry." He countered.

"Well I hope you aren't worrying too much. You know those worry lines could permanently eth on your face, and I don't know if you would look as good with them."

"As good? I'm just good?" he asked jokingly.

"Maybe." I teased.

"See, it's a very complicated question and has a very detailed answered that might take a while to explain, which requires a lot of time, which I seem to have and didn't call for." I elaborated.

My ears filled with Sam's laughter, and I smiled; I don't think I heard that in a while.

"Detailed huh?" he asked.

"yup." I exclaimed and moved on to why I called.

"Leah and Seth aren't with you are they?" I asked.

"No, it's just Jake and Paul." He said getting why I asked.

"Ok good. Well I was going to ask what we are going to end up doing, but I'm thinking you might have a plan." I asked hopeful.

He chuckled a little. "Maybe. I mean it's a very detailed and complicated answer, which requires a lot of time, which I don't know if I have." He mocked.

I laughed. Gosh he could be a dork and a pain in the butt sometimes.

"Oh Sammy. You know you should tell me right?" I started the playful banter

"And why is that?" he responded.

"Cause I'm amazing and I don't think you could go very long with out kissing me."

"Oh, I could go longer than you think." He laughed, thinking I was truly joking.

"Alright Mr. Tough guy. Lets see how long then." I laughed thinking about how he would look after a day or two.

He growled and got down to business. "I was thinking the pack meets at my place everyday after school, so you could just come a little earlier, then and pick us up and you and I will be there waiting at the house for those two. Then teleport us back and the guys will be waiting to shout surprise." He said with a huff.

I laughed; apparently he didn't want to play the no kissing game.

"Ok, we can do that. I will come maybe like 20 minutes early. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds perfect."

"Goodnight Sam. I love you."

"Love you too Baby, sweet dreams." He said softly, and then we hung up.

I changed into my P.J's and then was off to bed.

Then next morning, I made sure to write myself a note saying I needed to pick up some party things during lunch and then was off to class.


	8. Getting Ready To Party

Class wasn't too interesting. The time went by pretty fast which I was thankful for,

I drove right over to a party story, picking up some things. I laughed as I scanned the aisle ways of birthday items. I grabbed some confetti, blowers, candles, and decorations which were all in bright shiny colors.

I laughed as I saw birthday hats that had bright shiny pom- poms on top. I made sure to grab enough for everyone.

When I was done, I went to the counter and paid for everything. I was starting to get really excited. I looked at my phone to see Sam texted me.

_Can't wait to see you tonight._

_Love you._

I smiled. God I love this man. I quickly responded before taking my things and heading back to school to finish the day.

_I cant wait either. I picked up a few things for the party, see you tonight._

_Love you!_

_Xoxo_

I drove back to campus, ending the day with my cooking classes. When I got back to my apartment I made sure everything was clean and ready for tonight. I ended up sitting at the table doing some homework and then getting ready for the party.

I took out the bag full of party goods and grabbed the streamers and balloons to begin decorating.

I soon realized a lot of the places I was going to hang the decorations I was short to reach so I decided to let the guys do it.

I laid out the table clothes, signs and sprinkled some confetti all over. I could see all the colorful cups and plates from the clear glass of the cabinets above the sink and knew we had enough of everything. After I was done, I stood in the middle of the room trying to think what else I could do. I had about an hour and a half before I had to be there, and that would still be arriving early.

_Hmmm…maybe I should just get Sam now. He could help with the rest of the decorations…_

I stood there a little longer before a thought hit me.

_A cake. We need a cake. Shit._

I looked at the time again and found I would be cutting it close.

I wanted to do this really cool cake, but I would need some help. I bit my lip and decided to call Sam.

I pulled out my phone and ran into the kitchen pulling out ingredients for a triple layer cake.

_**Ring Ring.**_

"hello?" san answered.

"Sam." I said rushed.

"Baby? Everything ok?"

"Yea, no. Yes. I mean. We forgot cake Sam. I just remembered, so I am gunna bake one but I need some help because the one I want to bake-…."

"Woah." Sam said.

"Calm down. What do you need?" he asked calmly.

I stopped what I was doing and smiled into the phone. He knew me too well, and knew exactly how to stay calm.

_No wonder why he was alpha_ I thought.

"Bella?" he asked,

"Oh right. Actually, can you come over? I'm gunna need an extra set of hands for what I'm going to do."

I laid out 6 cake pans all in a row and the started spraying them with cooking spray.

"Sure baby, but well…I cant really drive there. I mean you live kinda far away and by the time I get there-…"

I could picture him rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

"Oh right." I laughed.

"Be there in a sec." I said and hung up.

I quickly sprayed the rest of the pans and then teleported over to Sam's.

"Sam?" I said from the living room.

"Bells?" he asked coming out of the kitchen. He was dressed in a black short sleeve shirt that hugged his muscles and a pair of dark jeans.

"Hey." I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck giving him a quick kiss.

"Hi." He said hugging me closer to him, with his arms around my waist. We stared at each other for a few minutes, just lost in the moment when my senses came back to me.

"Ready to go? " I asked.

He nodded, not breaking eye contact with me.

I quickly teleported us, without looking away and then there we stood, in the kitchen of my apartment.

He and I stood there a little longer, before I finally broke away from him.

"Come on big boy, we have got some work to do." I exclaimed before patting his shoulder and walking away.

I stood at the counter putting a bunch of ingredients in the bowl, thinking of the directions in my head.

As I started to stir everything together, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist.

I laughed softly and felt Sam's chin lay on my shoulder.

"Hi." I murmured leaning my body back into his.

He just kissed my cheek and smiled, hugging me tighter and watching my cooking skills in action.

"So you gunna help or just sit there all day?" I asked laughing. He reminded me of a puppy dog.

He rolled his eyes and then took over stirring as I began the next cake.

Within the hour all of the cake pans were filled with batter and in the oven.

Sam helped me make the frosting. As I moved the electric mixer around the bowl he poured in the powdered sugar.

Our system worked for a while until he poured too much sugar into the bowl and it went flying all over my shirt. I turned off the mixer and stood there gapping.

I was full of sugar!

I looked at him with narrow eyes and found him laughing.

Oh this is funny? I thought to myself.

I grabbed a finger full of smooth creamy white frosting and went up on my tip toes to plop on his head.

This time he looked at me with the same expression I displayed a few moments earlier. I stood there laughing at the clump of frosting that laid on his head.

"Bella." He growled.

The smirk wiped off my face as I saw him come towards me with the box of confection sugar.

"Sam. Don't you-!"

I was stopped short as he dumped some sugar on my head.

I slowly moved my hand to the top of my head and felt the powdery sugar on the top of my head and in the strands of my hair that was in a ponytail.

"Oh, its war!" I exclaimed and ran back to the counter.

I grabbed whatever I could and ran for him.

It ended up being an egg, which I cracked on his head and shoulder.

We laughed and fought with baking ingredients till the oven beeped.

We both stopped what we were doing and looked over to the interruption then back to each other.

Sam had me in his arms with powder all over my body, while he was wet with raw egg and a cup of water.

I laughed at our compromising position and what we had done.

He smirked at me and then let me go.

I walked over to the ovens and took out the pans to cool on the counter.

When I turned back around, I found Sam staring at me with those gorgeous eyes.

"I should get you back so you can clean up."

"What about the frosting?" he asked smiling.

I laughed a little and walked into his arms.

"I think I can finish it up, but thanks for the help." I told him sarcastically.

"Oh anytime." He said leaning down to kiss me.

As we kissed, I teleported him back into the kitchen.

"Alight big boy. I will see you soon." I stepped away from him and waved before leaving.

When I got back, I made a mad dash to finish the frosting. It only took me about 10 minutes to finish making the frosting for both cakes, thanks to my handy dandy powers.

When I thought the cakes were cool enough, I grabbed the two platters and began frosting.

It wasn't my best work, but it was good enough since I was kind of crunched on time.

I let the cakes sit for a little as I cleaned up the kitchen with my powers and headed for the shower.

It took me a little longer than usual since I had about the whole box of sugar in my hair.

When I finally got it all rinsed out I rushed out and began getting dressed. I put on a white flowy halter top and some blue jeans shorts that were ripped all over. I grabbed my shoes that were flat tan sandals but had colorful ribbony things that went around my ankles.

Once I was done getting dressed, I put on some light makeup and curled my hair a little more to frame my face.

I checked the time and found I was about 5 minutes late.

Shoot!

I ran out of the bathroom and out of the bedroom.

I was going to hurry and write on the cake but decided to get the guys first.

I teleported back over to sam's and walked into the kitchen.

"hey guys." I said happily.

"Bella!" they all cheered.

I got a big round of hugs and smiling faces.

"Wheres Sam?" I asked confused. He was supposed to be ready.

"Right here." He said walking down the stairs. He was wearing a nice button down shirt that made his muscles show in all the right places and jeans. I could smell his cologne as I walked towards him. It had a nice woodsy smell with a touch of pine maybe?

"Hey." I said, flashing him a bright smile.

"So you guys ready to go?" I asked the pack.

"Yup." They said, all surprisingly briefed on the situation.

I gave Sam a quick kiss and then grabbed the guys hand to teleport away.

When we got there the guys began to disperse and look around.

I heard someone whistle in shock.

"Damn Bells." Jake said coming back to hug me from behind.

"You really know how to pick a place." He told me, kissing me on the cheek.

I smiled and melted further in his arms. "Why thank you."

I closed my eyes and snuggled into him. "I miss you."

"I know B. I miss you too; we will hang out again soon ok? I promise."

I opened my eyes and looked up to him. "Wow, a Jakey promise. I must be one special girl." I joked

"Of course." He smiled.

"As much as I hate to ruin the little moment you guys have going on there, we want to spend some time with Bells too. I feel like its been forever." Embry said taking me out of Jakes arms.

I laughed as he spun me around.

"Oh Bella, can we have some?" Collin and Brady asked, standing by the cakes.

"No!" I shouted, guarding them.

Everyone laughed as Collin and Brady pouted.

"Thanks though, I almost forgot to write on them." I murmured and took out some frosting.

"Well I don't think you are going to have time right now. I am guessing they are home by now." Paul said with Emily on his lap.

I sighed.

"Right. Oh! Guys, I almost forgot. Can you put all this stuff up? I couldn't reach." I said, taking out the things from the bag.

"And make sure they look good! Emily, help them." I commanded. As I teleported away, I could see Emily getting up and taking charge.

When I got to Sam's, I found him sitting at the table all alone looking out the window.

"They aren't here yet?" I asked.

"Nope, not yet." He said looking at me.

I walked over and sat on his lap, staring out the window, waiting for them to arrive.

I started to think about everything, how I got here, to how everything has changed. I felt Sams arms snake around my back to my stomach and held me close.

After a few minutes, my phone buzzed.

I took it out and found Paul had texted me.

_Party hats. Really?_

I laughed, along with Sam who read the text over my shoulder. I quickly pressed 'reply'.

_Yes, and you have to wear them. And don't even think about complaining, or else I will stick Emily on you. And make sure the rest of the guys wear them too._

I shut my phone and felt Sam's rumbling laughter shake his body.

"Oh, your wearing one too." I turned my body to face him and smiled.

"Oh no I'm not." He said.

"yes you are." I smirked.

"Nope." He smiled.

"Your not getting out of this." I said, bending my head closer to him, bringing our lips in close proximity of each other.

"No." he breathed.

I pulled my head away from him a little and heard a small whimper.

"Please?" I asked smiling. I looked at his lips, and then back to his eyes.

"Maybe." He said leaning towards me, but I pulled my head away farther.

"You got to do better than that baby."

"We'll see." He said, tugging on my hips and coming closer to me.

I shook my head. "Better." I brought my lips tantalizing close to his.

"Fine." He exclaimed and then captured my lips into a hard, lustful kiss.

I moaned and he brought me closer to him. I could start to feel him growing aroused and broke the kiss, gasping at the friction.

He was hard. Very hard. He moved his lips to my neck, finding any part of me to kiss.

I gasped again as his tongue darted out, licking my shoulder.

I thrusted my hips against his erection and he growled. I was wet. And the way he was touching me, I was going to soak through my short shorts any minute now.

He grabbed my hips and pushed me down onto him, and I felt his hardness rub against me.

I gave a small yelp and felt him groan with lust. My hips continued to rub against him, practically giving him a lap dance. He moaned in appreciation, and moved his hands all over me.

They went under my shirt and up my sides, rubbing all over. He got to my bra, and his thumbs brushed under the cups.

"Sam." I gasped. He then thrusted his hips against mine, our cores touching. I gasped and felt my back arch. He then bowed his head into my chest, right in-between my breasts.

"Sam. Baby, we can't do this here, or now." I said, trying to regain some composer.

"Bella, baby, I need you." He growled, grinding my hips with his.

I bit my lip to stop myself from letting out a cry of pleasure.

"Please baby, just let it out. Let me feel you." He said, kissing my lips. He grabbed the lip I used to stop my cries of pleasure with his teeth and took it in his mouth. I could feel him running his big warm hands up my thighs and close to my center.

"Sam. I want to, but not now. We have to wait for Leah and Seth." I said, breaking the kiss and stopping his hands.

He took in a breath, sighing.

"Birthday remember?" I said.

He sighed in defeat.

"You'll get me baby, soon. I promise." I whispered rubbing his head and the getting off his lap.

"Where are you going?" he asked sadly.

"Bathroom. I need to clean up before they get here." I said.

He nodded and smiled.

I rolled my eyes and headed for the bathroom.

After I was done, I found him just where I left him.

He looked up and was smiling like a fool.

"Whatever you big goof." I said rolling my eyes.

I walked over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water.

"Hello?" Seth and Leah called.

They walked into the kitchen and found me and Sam.

"Hey guys. Ready to go?" I smiled, knowing they had no clue what I was talking about.

"Huh?" they both asked looking at each other.

Sam and I laughed and I took their hands

"You'll see." I said and then teleported back to my place.


	9. Party Time!

"Surprise!" We all shouted.

The pack did an excellent job.

The big 'Happy Birthday' banner was placed right behind them and they were all wearing party hats.

I was laughing my ass off. They all looked hilarious.

I quickly used my powers and 'poof-ed' my camera in my hands. I took a snap shot of everyone in their hats before anyone could say anything.

Leah and Seth were shocked to say the most.

Their faces were like fish out of water.

"Holy Shit." Seth exclaimed still standing there. We all laughed at him and the Leah as she ran over to Jake and jumped into his arms. It was cute. He laughed and twirled her around in his arms.

"Thank you." She murmured to Jake.

"Don't thank me. It was Sam who filled me in today, which by the way, why was Sam covered of eggs and flour?" he asked me.

I quickly pointed to Sam, who pointed to me.

"He started it." I exclaimed

"She started it." He exclaimed at the same time I did.

They all laughed.

"Thank you Sam. Bella." Leah nodded to us.

"It wasn't me. It was Bella." Sam said.

Leah ran over to me and hugged me. "Thank you soo much Bella. You are the best." She cried.

I laughed as Seth came, with a running hug to join us.

"Your welcome." I said.

"So, why was Sam covered in baking ingredients?" Emily asked.

"Like I said, it was Sam's fault." I told her, sitting down.

"Was not!" he said, picking me up and sitting me on his lap.

"Was too! You are the one who poured too much sugar in!"

"Well…you were the one who put frosting on my head!"

I laughed. "Yea, well I was trying to defend myself."

"So was I." he said.

"What happened?" Embry asked.

"Sam helped me bake the cakes."

"Does that mean we shouldn't eat them?" Paul asked jokingly.

We all laughed except for Sam who growled.

"It's ok. He was under my supervision." I patted his hand, calming him down.

"So what happened?" Kim asked.

"Well, we were making the frosting. And the genius over here put too much frosting in the bowl as I was using the electric mixer, so it went all over me." I said pointing behind me to Sam.

"So I did what any person did, I fought back and put a tad of frosting on his head." I smiled.

"Yeah, a tad? It was like a scoop." He complained.

"Was not!" I argued.

"Was too and you know it." He mumbled into my shoulder, giving it a small kiss.

I rolled my eyes and he smiled at me.

We all talked for a while, and then I stood up to put the stuff on the cake and call the pizza guy.

I quickly dialed the pizza guy and he said about an hour, which was fine.

After that, I took the frosting I had set out and began to write happy birthday on the cake.

"That looks amazing." Emily said, startling me.

"Holy Shit Em." I said, my heart beating furiously.

"Sorry Bella, I thought you would hear me." She said softly.

"It's fine. Hey, you want to do this one?" I asked.

"Really? Yes, please." She said with her eyes lighting up.

"How do I do this? I mean, I know how to, I just want it to look like yours." She said.

I tried to explain it to her, but the angle of her wrist wasn't right.

"Like this." I said, turning her wrist and doing the letters along with her.

When we were done she stood back in amazement.

"Wow. That looks amazing." She said again.

I laughed. It was pretty cool I guess.

"Want to do Seth's?" I asked.

"Yes! I mean, are you sure? I don't want to mess up or anything." She said quickly.

"Relax Em. You can do it. You barely even needed my help. You can use the other colored frosting over there if you want too." I said, pointing to the Blue and Yellow frosting.

I pretended to look like I was doing something, and watched Emily out of the corner of my eye.

She looked nervous but excited at the same time. I watched as she took the other colored frosting and started writing.

She was a natural.

The writing she did on the cake was better than mine, and it looked absolutely amazing. She used the other two colors, and made them look like an expert did it.

"Wow Em. That looks awesome." I said congratulating her.

"Oh gosh. Thanks Bells, but not as good as yours. I totally messed up on the happy." She said looking flustered.

"Hey guys. Need any help?" Kim asked walking towards us.

"Wow. That looks cool." Kim said looking at Emily's cake.

"See I told you." I said giggling and bumping my hip with Emily's. She smiled, thanking Kim with a blush on her face.

I went back to sticking some candles in Leah's cake while we all waited for the pizzas.

The doorbell rang, and I heard Jared getting up to get it.

He quickly paid the pizza guy and came inside.

"Hey. Pizzas are here. What are you girls up to?" Jared asked, while setting the pizzas on the counter.

"Hey." Emily and I both said, still working on the cakes.

"Hey." Kim giggled as Jared wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her on the cheek.

"Alright, and the finishing touch." I said smiling.

I pulled out a small package that had two trick candles. I made sure to stick one on each cake and I smirked. Jared, Kim, and Emily were looking at me funny till I held the package up. They said 'Magic Relighting Candles'. Everyone smirked and hid their giggles. When Leah and Seth would go to blow out the candles, those would stay lit which would get them more than frustrated.

I shifted the cakes back on the counter and then made sure to hide the package in the trash. When everything looked in its place I called everyone in for pizza.

"Hey guys! Pizza is here!"

Everyone came hustling and bustling in.

Within seconds, everyone had their food and the pizza boxes were all torn up and empty.

We all sat around the table and talked.

We all laughed at the guys and their party hats, and Leah and Seth's expressions when they came in.

Everyone was practically crying with laughter.

I calmed down first, and had one of those revelations thingys again.

I watched everyone's facial expressions and found this weird feeling bubble inside me. We were all smiling and chucking. Nothing was wrong, and there was nothing to be sad or worried about. It felt good.

The emotions that swept over me were so great that I felt myself swallow down a cry of happiness.

It was just like old times.

The room started to calm down a little bit and I felt Sam's hand land on my thigh.

I looked over to him and found him looking a time with curious eyes.

I flashed him a bright smile and patted his hand under the table.

"Alright. Who is ready for cake? And presents?" I asked.

"Oh! Me! Presents! Cake!" I heard everyone scream.

I through my head back and laughed while making my way to the kitchen with a bunch of plates in my hands.

I tossed the napkins in the garbage and started sticking the bright colorful dishes in the dish washer.

"Hey." Quil said, coming in with more plates.

I felt the tension in the air shift. It went from relaxed to tense. Or so it seemed.

"Hey." I said, grabbing the plates from him and sticking them in with the other dishes.

Quil just stood there, leaning against the counter as I finished up.

Once all the dishes were put in the dish washer, I closed the door and went over to the opposite counter to dry off my hands.

I searched my brain for something to say, but I couldn't think of something. What was I supposed to say?

It felt weird to be around him. Ever since we blew up with each other, I didn't really know where we stood anymore. From being such close friends to what? Did he even still consider me as a close friend?

"Bella, I know you said I shouldn't be apologizing, but I need to. I need to get it out, because it's killing me." He said.

I turned around to him with shock written all over my face.

"I didn't mean to get so upset with you that one day. I just…the tension was so high ya know? There were vampires and then Sam was freaking out. I mean-…I'm not using that as an excuse. I'm not. It's just; I didn't mean to blow up like that. Especially on you. It was just, the heat of the moment I guess." He said raking a hand over the back of his neck.

"I-…Its ok." I said, not knowing what else to say. I was shocked.

"I didn't realize what you all were going through. Especially with me. Everyone does things they regret sometimes. Don't sweat it Quil, I forgive you." I said.

"Thanks Bells." He said giving me a hug.

When we finally let go, I could see how light his eyes got, and a smile appeared on his face. I had him grab a cake to take to the kitchen table. As he walked out, he suddenly stopped and looked at me.

"Bella?"

"Yea?" I asked.

"Where do we stand?" he said softly.

I swallowed. That was what I was thinking. I shook my head and let a smile slowly creep upon my face.

"Where we always stood. Being the closest type of friends in history. Best friends." I said as if it wasn't obvious.

He smiled wider and nodded at me.

"Good. I was worried for a second." He said relieved.

"Quil." I said before he could walk all the way out there.

"Yea?" he said.

"You would never loose me as a friend. Especially over something stupid like that. You got me?" I asked.

He nodded to me with a smile. "Got it."

I grabbed a lighter from the drawer and headed out towards everyone with the cake.

Everyone swarmed from the living room to the cakes as Quil and I set them down on the table.

"Bella, those are amazing." Leah gushed.

"Thanks Leah. But Emily helped with the wording." I supplied.

Everyone started complimenting her and I laughed as I noticed her cheeks light up with a blush.

"Alright. So presents or cake first?" I asked Seth and Leah.

"Presents!" Seth exclaimed

"Cake!" Leah shouted.

Everyone laughed as they looked at each other and started fighting.

"Alright guys. Rock paper scissors' it." Sam finally said, after I gave him a look to stop their fighting.

"Rock paper scissors?" I questioned, laughing a little as he sat back down. He was supposed to be alpha and that was the best he's got to solve the little quarrel.

He shrugged and smiled. "It worked didn't it?" he asked me.

I looked over to them and found them doing the best out of three.

So far they each had one.

"Rock paper scissors." They said together.

Leah got rock and Seth got paper.

"Ha!" Seth exclaimed. "Paper covers Rock!" he said running into the living room again to go over to the presents.

"No! That wasn't fair! I mean, that doesn't even make sense anyways!" Leah shouted.

We all laughed. "I'm serious. That doesn't even make sense. What does paper do? Suffocate rock?" She asked us while her eyes narrowed.

"I don't know and I don't really care. Bring on the presents." Seth said happily.

"No, its not fair." Leah whined.

"Leah…" Sam started to say.

"No, Sam. Come on. You know I'm right. I mean come on! You use rock to cover paper so it doesn't blow away. I mean what the heck! I sooo won!" she said.

"Well…she's got a point." I said.

"Ha! See!" she told Seth.

"It doesn't matter. That's the game. I still won." Seth said.

They started to argue again so I devised a different plan.

"Alright. Shut up!" I yelled to them.

"How about Seth opens his presents and then we do cake and then Leah, you do yours?" I asked.

"Sure." Seth shrugged.

Leah thought for a second before shrugging too. "Alright. I guess that works for me." She said.

"Finally." I said exasperated.

"Alright. Ours first!" Kim said happily.

Seth quickly unwrapped it and found a really nice watch.

"Wow, thanks guys." He said admiring the shininess.

Next were Collin and Brady who got him some fancy dress shirts.

Emily and Paul got him some cologne and then Quil and Embry got him some new DVD's. Jake went after that. He got him a new Cd by his favorite band and a signed poster by them too.

"Dude. How did you get this?" Seth asked amazed.

"Silent auction." Jake said happily.

"Here. It's from Sam and me." I said handing him our gift.

He quickly unraveled it and found some books.

"Books, really guys?" Paul snickered.

I rolled my eyes. "Seth likes to read." I stated.

I found Seth blushing and laughed. "You know, it's not a bad thing you like to read." Sam claimed.

"How did you know?" Seth asked, checking out the backs of the books.

I shrugged m shoulders. "I just do." I smirked.

"Alright, go to the next one." I told him.

He unwrapped the big one and gasped.

"H-O-L-Y S-H-I-T" he said slowly.

Everyone looked curious and then he took it out.

It was a brand new guitar. It was quite expensive, but totally worth it.

"Bella, this is…." Seth said speechless.

I smiled. "I thought you would like it. I noticed how much you seemed to like mine, so we got one for you."

Seth looked at me and Sam and back to the guitar. "It's amazing." He ran his hands all over it lightly.

"Check the back, on the bottom." Sam said.

Seth flipped it over fast but very carefully to read the inscription.

It read 'Seth, Hope this always gives you a reason to smile. We love you so much. Happy Birthday. Love Sam and Bella.'

"Bella. Sam. Thank you." Seth said still breathless.

"You're welcome Seth." Sam said and hugged me tight.

"I think he likes it." Sam whispered in my ear with a smirk on his face.

I laughed, rolling my eyes at him.

"Really? I don't know if I can tell." I said sarcastically.

We both laughed at Seth while everyone slowly started to give us puzzling looks.

"Can we do cake now?" Leah whined.

Finally, after a few more minutes of sitting around and whining from Leah, we walked to the kitchen for cake.

We sang Happy Birthday and had them blow out the candles…well blow out some.

When it got to the trick candles, they both had a hard time.

Leah and Seth kept blowing, and I almost thought they were going to blow the cake off its platter.

Emily, Kim and I giggled to ourselves while Jared was full blown laughing.

Slowly, one by one, everyone started to get it, well except for Seth and Leah.

Everyone was laughing their heads off. I assumed that Leah and Seth didn't even bother to ask why because they thought they were laughing at how they couldn't blow out a candle.

Eventually Leah was getting so frustrated that Jake pulled her back by the shoulders and whispered the secret to her.

She looked at all of us and then rolled her eyes.

We all laughed when we heard her mumble. "Real nice guys. Real nice."

"It was all Bella." Jared said laughing.

Leah's eyes narrowed at me and I gave her a small innocent smile.

"What was all Bella's fault?" Seth asked out of breath.

We all started busting out laughing, including Leah. Seth was still trying to blow out the trick candle.

"Seth, it's fake." Leah said holding her stomach with laughter.

"What? Who's fake?" he asked confused.

"The….can-...dle-…its…fake…" Embry huffed out, laughing from the floor.

Seth looked from the candle to all of us, who were still laughing.

"Guys." He whined.

This just made us all laugh harder and Seth roll his eyes.

Wow, like brother and sister. I thought to myself.

I slowly walked over to Seth, holding my stomach with laughter. I put a hand on his shoulder to lean against him.

"Sorry Seth….Just….couldn't…help it." I said trying to catch my breath.

"Yea yea Bells. This cake better be good." He grumbled, cutting a piece for himself.

Right after Seth cut the cake, the laughter seemed to die down and everyone huddled close to the cake.

There were moans of approval throughout the room. Apparently my cake was a huge hit.

"This is amazing Bella." Paul said.

"Thanks." I blushed.

Everyone else gave rounds of compliments to me which I thanked with a blush.

Once we were finished, it was on to Leah's presents.

We all went back into the living room and watched her.

Jared and Kim got her some new jeans and perfume.

Quil got her a book on how not to be such a grump, which Leah threw at Quil's head.

Paul and Emily got Leah a whole outfit. Their were shoes, jewelry, and accessories that all matched.

Brady and Collin got Leah a new pair of headphones for her iPod and a gift card to the mall.

It was finally our turn. Sam handed her the two presents and she slowly unwrapped them.

She took out the small one first and found a Cd disc.

She carefully looked at it and then her eyes went huge.

"Is this the program?" she said excitedly.

I nodded and smiled. "Yup. That's the one. It should be easy to install and has a lot of cool features."

"Ahh! Bella, I love you!" she said, running to give me a hug.

"What is it?" Jake asked Sam.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Its some cake thing." He said.

Leah quickly jumped up from pummeling me to the ground and defended the present.

"No, it's like the most awesomest thing in the world. It's that one program we worked on at Bella's house. You can do so many cool things. It was amazing. And now I have it!" she said in a sing song voice.

"Alright. Open up the next one." Paul said rolling his eyes.

Leah slowly went back to her seat and opened up the next gift.

It was a sketchbook. One that I had been working on for a while. I collaborated a bunch of different moments and pictures and drew them out. Some of them I even used pastels or colored pencil.

"Wow." She said amazed.

"Bella, this is amazing."

"Thanks, but Sam helped." I supplied.

"Sam, you draw?" She asked.

"Hell no." he replied.

I laughed. Sam drawing, now that was something to see. A hand tickled my side, and I looked up to see Sam smirking at me, knowing what I was thinking.

"No, but he supplied me with a few memories." I said, while trying to push his hand away from tickling me further.

Lastly, was Jake. It was a small gift, and Leah looked at it with care.

She slowly untied the silky white ribbon and tore the beautiful metallic purple wrapping paper.

When she opened the small box she gasped. Slowly she held up a long shiny silver chain that held a heart locket with her name visibly engraved on it.

"Jake." She gasped.

He just looked at her and smiled.

She carefully took the heart shaped locket in her hand and opened it. Inside she found pictures of her and Jake together, one where they had their hands wrapped around each other, looking in the camera, and the other where they didn't even notice the camera and just about to kiss.

"It's beautiful." She whispered.

"Look at the back" he said.

She softly closed it and turned it around. On the back, there were words engraved.

Just wanted you to show you how much you are in my heart. Love you forever. ~Jake Xoxo

Her eyes began to tear and I noticed how Jake fiddled around with his hands.

"I know you don't really like jewelry but I just thought-…." He said before he was knocked to the ground.

"I love it Jake. It's amazing. You're amazing. Thank you so much. I love you." She mumbled.

He laughed and kissed her cheek. "Love you too Leah."

"Can you put it on me?" she said getting off him and whipping her tears.

"Of course." He said, wiping his thumb across her cheek to catch a stray tear she missed.

I smiled at the two of them. They were perfect for each other. Who knew how much an imprint could truly do to two people.

I slowly started to feel soft kisses on my shoulder. I craned my neck to see Sam kissing me with a small smile on his face.

I smiled back and kissed his perfect lips.

"Alright. Are we going to get all mushy here?" Quil complained as he saw Leah and Jake, and then Sam and I kissing. Jared and Kim looked pretty close to kissing and so did Paul and Emily.

Sam and I laughed at him while Leah and Jake were still in their own little world.

"No, chill out Quil." I said. "Let them be." I nodded over to Leah and Jake who were still wrapped in each others world.

I smiled, everyone was happy. The rare moment was perfect and I felt happy inside and out.


	10. Beginning the Game

After all the mushy gushy moments, I took everyone on a tour of my apartment. They were impressed which made me happy. They all stopped at the walls full of pictures and laughed at the silly moments. One picture in particular was of our muddy football game.

We were all laughing at the silly moment when Sam finally spoke up.

"So what's with this football thing? I mean I remember the story you guys once told, but I don't know…" Sam said embarrassed now that the attention was fully on him.

I smiled. "It's just a tradition."

"Yea, a big tradition." Jake spoke up smiling at me and wrapping an arm around me.

"A tradition that needs to be put into action!" Seth cheered while hugging his sister.

Everyone hooted and hollered an excited yes, while I just stood there laughing and smiling.

I looked over to Sam and saw him just watching the guys.

"Alright Alright!" I shouted.

"If we are going to do this, and I said if!" I told the guys as they got excited.

"We will have to make bigger teams cause we have some new team mates." I smiled.

Sam gave me a small smile and all the guys cheered. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"Alright. Lets go into the family room and discuss this." I said walking out of my bedroom.

As we all gathered in the large spacious room, I made sure to grab some paper and a pen.

"So how are we dividing up teams?" Seth asked.

"Well, I was thinking of putting the newbie's in here and keep our same teams…if you can handle that Jake." I said teasingly.

Jake rolled his eyes, "yea, yea whatever Bells."

We put the folded names of the newbies in a hat and shook it all up.

"Jake, you pick first." I smiled slyly. Messing with Jake was so much fun. He and I would usually come up with 'evil' schemes to play on each other.

He looked at me and then decided it was safe to pick.

"Collin." He read aloud.

It was my turn next. So I shook the hat and picked. "Jared." I said simply.

"Wohoo!" he raised his hand in a fist and yelled.

Jake rolled his eyes and I laughed.

"Sam." Jake said slyly.

Everyone 'oo-ed' as Sam was my opponent. I rolled my eyes and the guys laughed.

"Brady." I picked.

The teams were equal but Paul was left.

"What now?" Jake asked.

I shook my shoulders. I had no idea.

"Paul's ref? And Kim and Emily can be cheerleaders?" I asked, not really thinking of any other possibility.

We all looked at Paul and he shrugged. "Sounds good I guess. That way we can have a fair game, but next time, one of the runts are sitting out." He muttered referring to Collin and Brady.

The teams were set and we were all pumped.

"Dude, this is going to be awesome." Quil said high fiving Embry.

"And we are going to kiss some ass!" Seth cheered.

I smiled and rolled my eyes as the boys got all pumped up.

"So when are we gunna do this?" Embry asked, trying to be all tough guy.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. I have classes everyday till 1. And I student teach on top of that every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."

"So either a Tuesday or Thursday." Jake concluded.

I thought about my schedule and then nodded. "Yea, I guess so."

"Then how about this Thursday?" Paul asked.

"Yea," I nodded. "This Thursday"

We were all rallied up and I just couldn't help but laugh. Yea, I guess I can't really say winning doesn't matter, cause in all truth it does. It really does, especially when it comes with bragging rights. But watching them all scoot closer to each other and get in a crowd to talk about the game plan and rules had me laughing pretty hard.

When I finally got over the humor of it all, I got up and dragged myself in the little circle they had created around each other.

"Let's change up the rules here boys... and girls" o said just in case Kim would be offended.

"Why?" Quil whined.

"Cause a lot has changed and the rules are hard to explain." I glared at him.

"Unless you want to explain them?"

He looked at me shocked and shook his head no.

"Well in that case, the pleasure is all mine" I said sarcastically.

"Alright. No hitting, punching or physical attacking unless it's within the rules of football or whatever"

"And as for the case of being werewolves, no phasing or tempting to others to phase."

"If Paul wants to call u out of the game he can.

"Within reason." I cautioned him.

"It has to be either evident enough or reasonable enough. To take the guy out of the game. If the majority of us agree that the person needs to be out then the guys out. Fair and square"

"There are no lines or fancy rules, just stick with the basics. Score... And win. That's about it. Touchdowns and plays are all free reign."

"Umm... What else?" I asked out loud.

"Oh, no kicker or any of that fancy shit. It's not needed."

"And that's it. Basically it's get the ball and score."

"Paul you get to call what's in reason and what's not. Make sure it's fair. I don't want or need any cheating going around here." I warned, looking at everyone around the room; especially at Jake. Knowing him, he will probably try to bribe Paul or something.

"And the winner of this...?" Jared asked

"Gets bragging rights and something else that we need to brainstorm" Jake finished for him.

I nodded in agreement. I can't believe that totally slipped my mind.

We all pitched ideas to each other, and came up with some cruel ideas.

The winners would not only get bragging rights, but get free choice of doing anything and everything for the next week.

It may sound stupid, but it's pretty harsh.

That means cooking, cleaning, going places, doing things, spending money on things would all be divided between the losers of the game.

"Fine by me. You guys ok with it?" I asked my team mates.

"Yea, sure." They shrugged.

"Alright. Its on." I teased Jake, shaking his hand.

The deed was settled, now all we had to do was prepare.

_We either need to meet or talk._ I told Jared, Embry, Leah, and Brady telepathically. They all looked at me and nodded immediately in agreement.

We all decided to meet at a coffee shop Wednesday, which was tomorrow, after all of our classes.

With that aside, we all talked for a while, just 'shooting the shit' as some people called it.

When it was dark and time to go home I had everyone hold on and in a blink of an eye, we were back at Sam's.

"Thank you for everything Belly." Leah said hugging me.

I gave her a big smile and hugged her tight.

"Anytime babe. Happy birthday."

"Bella." Seth called.

He made his way through the massive crowd of guys in the hall.

"Thank you so much. Seriously Bells. This is the best birthday ever."

The sincerity in his eyes made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

"Anything for you Seth." I joked. I stood on my tippy toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. "And I'm glad you enjoyed it."

He blushed, and I let out a laugh before giving him a hug.

"Happy Birthday."

Everyone said their goodbyes and we actually made progress to getting out the door.

"Wait, what about your gifts?" Collin asked.

Everyone looked at each other, and then me.

_Was this all I was good for?_ I joked to myself.

I decided to play with them for a little and I snapped my finger, and then bam. The gifts were 'poof-ed' in the hallway, as they liked to call it.

"Sweet." Brady cheered.

I laughed at him while Seth and Leah grabbed their things.

"Thanks again Belly!" Leah called in front of Jake, who was walking out the door.

"Yea! Thanks Bella!" Seth yelled. I looked around for him, but didn't see him. _He must be outside. _I thought.

"Anytime guys!" I yelled to them. Sam gave me a quick kiss before walking everyone out the door and making sure they got in their car okay.

When the house was empty and very quite, I made my way to the kitchen and took out a bottle of water from the fridge.

I hopped up on the counter while staring out the window, watching everyone leave.

I heard the door open and then close and I knew Sam was back inside.

"Hi." I said chipper and flashed him a bright smile. Today had been perfect. Nothing was better.

He smiled his bright warm smile and came over to hug me.

He stood between my legs, with his arms on either side of me and kissed my cheek.

I laughed a little, feeling that tingly feeling every time he touched me.

He continued to peck kisses all over as I smiled and laughed. One on my nose, my other cheek, chin, neck, shoulders and lips.

"Sam." I laughed, pushing him away by the shoulders.

He looked at me and smiled. "That tickles." I huffed.

"Sorry babe. Couldn't help it." He said in a low sexy voice.

A shiver went through my body and he smiled even bigger, knowing what effect that had on me.

He moved his hands to my backside and scooted me closer to him.

We looked into each others eyes, reading into each others happy souls.

He leaned in and kissed me with his warm passionate lips. When we broke away he brought his forehead to mine and looked at me.

"I love you." He murmured.

The way he said it; it was like those three little words were the simplest things in the world. It was like air your breath or the water you drink.

They came easy to him. They were comfortable with him; and I loved it.

"I love you too." I responded; no hesitation at all.

We talked a little more about everything. The party, our friends, and the football game.

"So is this going to affect us?" he wondered.

I gave him a smirk and kissed him goodbye. I needed to get down and get doing.

I patted him, signaling him I needed to get down.

He moved away with ease and I jumped down.

"I don't know. It depends." I teased him with my cryptic answer while walking past him.

I heard him groan as I gathered my bag by the front door.

Hands grabbed my waist and he spun me around to look at him.

"Bella." He grunted.

I looked up and smiled.

"Chill out Papa Wolf. It's just a game." I told him while putting my hands on his shoulders. I smiled at the weird nickname that popped into my head.

_Well, it fit._ I told myself. I looked at him and agreed with myself. He was definitely a Papa Wolf.

"Yea, a game that you and Jake seem to be real competitive about." He crabbed.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, me and Jake. Not me and Sam." I stressed.

He was quite for a minute, so I went on my tip toes and kissed him. His arms wrapped around my waist tighter and his head bowed down to me so I didn't have to hurt my poor toes.

I pulled away and ran my fingers through his hair.

"Don't worry. I don't care if we win or loose. It's just a game. This is all for fun. And you need to stop worrying. Take a chill pill or something." I teased and pulled away from him.

He growled playfully and quickly grabbed me.

"I'll give you a 'chill pill'." He murmured, before tickling me like crazy.

I laughed and squealed, trying my hardest to get away from his monstrous grip.

"Sam!" I panted with laughter.

I was crying with laughter as he continued his evil torture.

His fingers finally slowed down and stopped which I was thankful for.

"I need to go." I let out, still trying to get my breathing even.

His eyes drooped and I knew he was disappointed.

"Don't worry, you will see me on Thursday." I chirped.

His eyes brightened a little and he bent down to kiss me.

We let go of each other and I stepped away from him.

"But Sam, if you or your team cheat in any part of the game…there will be consequences." I warned with a smile and then teleported away.

When I was back at my apartment, I quickly cleaned up some of the used cups and plates and then was off to bed.


	11. Game Plans

It was morning again and I was off to my usual routine. Unfortunately, the sun wasn't shining and it wasn't warm at all.

Luckily my student teaching was canceled because of the bad weather. So I called the guys when I was on my lunch break and told them to meet right after class at Sue's Diner.

It was raining terribly. The winds were high and the rain was pouring hard. You were lucky if you could see in front of you.

Of course, being me, you had advantages, but I was worried for the guys. They shouldn't be driving to meet me in this weather.

I pulled out my phone while still listening to my teacher of my last class.

I quickly messaged a mass text to my team.

_Hey,_

_Its raining really hard here, so I'm guessing its even worse for you._

_Just stay in the car on campus and I will come and get you._

_See you all soon._

_Xoxo Bella._

As soon as it sent, I put away my phone. I needed to pay attention. School was almost going to be over and that meant finals.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, telling me I had a message.

I read it and smiled. It was from all of them on Jared's phone.

_Thanks Bella! ~ Jared_

_We will all be in my car! 3 Leah_

_Because she drove today! Embry =)_

_And Jared said we need to pick up Brady from school. =/ Also… Can we ma_

_Sorry, Leah was being a phone hog. She said that last line fyi ~Jared_

_Was not! And yes, I said that last line stupid. =P 3 Leah_

_Anyways, see you soon! Embry =)_

I laughed quietly and responded.

_Alrighty. I will look for Leah's car in the lot and we will pick up Brady on the way to the diner. Did you guys need anything else?_

_Xoxo Bella_

A response came quickly.

_Yes! 3 Leah_

_No. We will let you go ~Jared_

_Wait! I wanted to ask… 3 Leah_

_No. We are good Bella. See you soon. Sorry for Leah's interruptions. Embry =)_

I smiled at my phone and typed back to them.

_Oookkk. Well if you need anything I will have my phone on me. Class is about to end, so I will be there soon. Leah, we can talk when I get in the car._

_Love all!_

_Xoxo Bella_

This time, for good, I put my phone in my pocket and picked up my pen to write notes.

The professor dismissed us, and told us to be careful out there.

I packed all my stuff and watched as everyone exited the room.

Unfortunately, I had Storm, my bike, so I was going to get pretty wet.

The ride over there would be at least 40 minutes, but with everyone being advised not to drive on the freeways or go anywhere but home, I figured I would make good timing. Plus, I could always teleport if I needed to.

With everyone almost out of the class and not paying any attention, I stuck my hand in my bag and 'poof-ed' some clothes in my bag.

I made sure no one saw me and then zipped up my bag and was on my way.

I ran out of the academic building and over to my bike.

I hopped on the wet seat, put my helmet on and started my baby up. The engine roared to life and I was off.

I took all the expressways, and since they were either all empty or closed, I teleported a lot.

Within 15 minutes I was in the lot of their college campus.

The parking lot was practically empty, except for a few cars and a black jeep I knew immediately.

I parked my bike right next to it and kicked the kickstand down.

I pulled the wet helmet off and looked at myself.

I was drenched with water. My pants were soaking and my jacket was barely holding up.

"Bella! Get it!" a voice interrupted me.

I looked over and saw everyone.

Without another thought, I jumped off the bike and hopped in the car.

"Bella, you're drenched!" Leah pointed out.

"No shit Sherlock." I complained. The car was cramped and I was wet, my clothes sticking to me. Jared was in the driver's seat while Leah and Embry were in the back by each of the window seats. This left me in the middle.

"Bella, how are you going to be able to sit through a whole meeting wet like this?" Embry asked.

I held up my bag. "I brought a change of clothes. Don't worry."

"How did you get here so fast?" Leah asked suddenly.

I flashed her smile. "Well, the highways were all empty and a lot of them were closed because of the weather…so I kind of just teleported a lot."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nice."

"But wouldn't it have just been easier to teleport into our car from the beginning?" Embry asked.

This time, I rolled my eyes, and looked at him. "Where is your sense of adventure? Or fun? It's just something I like to do. Teleporting has its advantages, but really, it's not that fun."

He looked at me like I was crazy. So I knew I had to explain it further.

"You could either be there in a split second, not enjoying the ride of life. Or… you can hop on Storm, a super fast bike I might add, and enjoy getting wet for a few minutes. Plus, I teleported too, so I got the best of both worlds."

I watched as different emotions crossed Embry's face. He was really thinking this through.

"How are we going to see past all of this rain? I may be a werewolf, but even I can't see through this." Jared said.

I pushed my hair away from my face and began to get up from the seat.

"I can help with that."

I made my way between the driver and passenger seat and sat down in the front.

"I can make a pathway, lift the rain you could say, so we can see." I told Jared.

He looked shocked and nodded. "Sweet."

The car started and music started to play.

I looked out the windshield and then lifted some of the rain.

"I can't get rid of all the rain or else it will be too noticeable. But I can lift it up enough so you will be able to see to drive. So it should get us to the Diner and then we can wait till the rain starts to die down on its own to go back home."

He nodded and began driving. The windshield wipers were on max, but you could definitely see.

We waited outside of the school for Brady and he came out right away.

"Hey guys." He muttered.

"Hey!" everyone said and then Jared took off again.

We made it in good time and all ran into the Diner.

The little bells chimed when we swung the door open and we were all hit with the aroma of coffee.

"Bella?" Sue asked from behind the counter.

I looked over to the woman who called my name and smiled. "Hey Sue!" I waved.

She moved a part of the counter up and walked to the other side where customers stood.

Sue walked up to me with a big smile and I noticed she wore little makeup, not that she needed it.

I watched as she came up to me. She was wearing a yellow uniform with light pink trim at the seams and a white apron. She had white tennis shoes and jewelry on, which I thought was kind of unusual for a waitress to wear, but she was the owner.

The gold necklace that dropped down into the uniform glittered against the light in the diner.

I knew it was Harry's, her husbands, wedding ring.

Harry died a few months before I came here. Renee told me, and I think that was the only time I got to send a card there.

I couldn't really say anything private or too personal because Renee insisted she read it before I sent it.

"Hey honey." She cheered and hugged me.

I was soaking wet, so I quickly pulled away.

"Sorry, I'm wet." I explained.

She nodded and smiled. "So what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Just hanging out with the guys for a bit." I told her, nodding to the booth over by the window.

She nodded and continued to smile a genuine smile.

"Well are you going to be here for dinner? I could take the night off and we could all have a big dinner."

As much as I wanted to, I shook my head. "As great as that sounds, we just came to talk about a football strategy, and then I have to head back so I get ready for finals." I groaned.

She laughed at my face and then patted my shoulder. "Alright, but you need to come by and see Charlie so then I can make us all a big dinner."

I smiled. I always liked Sue. "Of course, as soon as finals are done."

We stood there talking a little more, before I excused myself to go get changed.

I told the guys and they nodded.

When I came out of the bathrooms, I was in warm dry clothes.

_That feels so much better._ I sighed to myself.

I slid into the booth, next to Leah and we began talking.

Soon, Sue came over to take our orders.

"What would you guys like to drink?" She asked sweetly.

"Water please" Embry said.

"I will have a Coke." Jared decided.

"me too." Brady said.

"Hot chocolate please mom." Leah said.

"I will have a hot chocolate too please." I said.

She nodded and left.

We went back to talking about a plan.

"How come we can't just go with our plan that gave us a win last time?" Leah whined.

"Because they will be expecting that. If I know Jake, he will be extra cautious that doesn't happen again." I told her.

She sighed, and we continued to brain storm.

As we all actively talked about a plan that actually could work, Sue came back with out drinks.

When she was done passing them out, she stood there looking at us.

"What on earth are you guys talking about?" she asked putting the tray under her arm, staring at us like we were crazy.

Well, I guess we kind of were. There we all were, huddled together over the back of a paper placemat, with pens in hand, planning a strategy for the game.

"We are planning for the big football game mom." Leah explained, going back to talk with the group.

"We have newbies joining us this year." I told her.

She smiled at us and nodded. "Is Sam on your team?"

I shook my head which caused her to raise an eyebrow.

"He isn't?"

"Nope." I smiled.

She let out a whistle and took out the tray from her arm. "This will be a game to watch."

She walked away and I laughed. _Yea, it definitely will._

I watched everyone in the diner, just observing everything, till I was hit on the arm by Jared.

"How about this Bella?" he asked showing me the play.

I listened to it, and then all of their ideas and nodded. "Yea, but now we need some back up plans and well…more plans."

They all laughed and we all got to work.

It was after about 2 hot chocolates, 1 club sandwich, and a soda, that we declared we were finally done.

We had a bunch of plays and a back up plan for each, which some of the back ups had a back up for that.

"Finally." Brady huffed.

We all laughed and Leah excused herself from the table.

After we paid, we all got up. I gave Sue one last hug before headed back to the car with the guys.

The rain had pretty much stopped. It was a light drizzle, and not even as close as bad as earlier.

We dropped Brady and Embry off, and then Jared. Leah insisted that she drive me to my bike so I was stuck.

"Leah, I could have just teleported there." I grumbled as she drove.

She kept her eyes on the road, but raised an eyebrow.

"And what happened to the whole 'where's the adventure? Or fun?' speech?" she asked, quoting me.

"Oh shut up." I didn't know what else to say.

She laughed and kept driving.

Within minutes after that, we pulled up to campus.

"Thanks Leah. See you Thursday!"

She smiled and told me the same before I shut the door.

I took my helmet off the seat and wiped off as much water I could get off the bike.

When it was enough not to drench me, I hopped on and started the engine.

I pulled away and found Leah waiting for me.

We pulled out of the lot together and she honked to me as I waved to her when we went our separate ways.

I used the expressways again, enjoying the ride of my bike.

It took me a while to get home, but I enjoyed it. I rarely got to spend some quality time with Storm.

_Maybe Jake and I can fix up storm a little. I will have to pitch the idea to him._ I told myself.

I parked storm and walked up to my apartment.

When I got in, I threw my keys on the counter, and immediately made my way to the shower.

I let the water steam up the room before stripping off my clothes and stepping in.

The hot water drenched my body and I sighed in content as I began to feel warm again.

After a long time in the shower, I decided to get out and do some work.

I wrapped a white fluffy towel around my body and stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair.

When my hair was brushed and partially dry, I walked out of the bathroom and went to find some clothes.

I decided since it was already 9pm, I would just put on some P.J's

I sat at the kitchen table with my books all around me. I finished working and studying around 2am and decided to call it a night.

I put away everything and then headed to my room.

My bed looked so inviting, I was about ready to jump in it and never leave.

I threw back the covers, slid in, and fell asleep.


	12. The Big Game

Today was game day. How did I remember? Cause I got texts from everyone, including Jake's team telling me.

My phone buzzed and buzzed, till finally picked it up from the nightstand and read the messages I seemed to get.

_Game day! Get ready to kick ass! 3 Leah_

_Can't wait for later! Get ready guys! ~Jared_

_Hope you're ready to lose this year! Jk, love you. Hope your morning's going good. See you soon. –Jake_

_Get pumped! We are going to win this year! (Sorry Bella!) - Seth_

_Hey, just letting you all know, neither team contacted me. Emily made sure of it. =/_

_See you soon. =Paul_

_Dude! Get ready! This is our time! ~Embry_

_Good luck today guys! Love, your cheerleaders. * Emily and Kim._

_Morning babe. Can't wait to see you today. Don't worry; I made sure the guys didn't cheat. I love you and be ready to go down. ;) Xo Sam_

_Get ready to go down!- Collin _

_Be afraid, be very afraid. You all are going down to the ground. Watch your backs. Mwahaha. - Quil_

_Pshh, we is gunna kick ya'alls butts! Sigh-a-nara! ~ Brady_

I laughed at everyone's, but when I read Brady's I totally lost it. I burst out laughing and through myself back down on my bed, responding to everyone. This was really going to cause some havoc.

It was going to take me a while to respond to everyone, so I sent out a mass text to my team mates first.

_Hey guys!_

_Cant wait to kick ass today!_

_We aren't the ones who are going to lose this. Get pumped and ready to win._

_Focus on the game, but not too much. U need to focus on your studies too. =)_

_See you right after school, and review the game plans so they are stuck fresh in your head._

_Love you all!_

_Xoxo Bella_

After I sent that, I responded to everyone else individually.

_Hardy har-har Jake. Don't you think you better be nice? Cause when we kick your asses you are going to want to suck up to us after all we will put you through. =)_

_Be happy Jake. You will get to learn from your mistakes. Hahaha. Jk, I love you too!_

_My morning is awesome! Hope urs is good too. See you as soon as I can!_

_Xoxo Bella_

_Oh Sethy. Don't you worry about us. Do well today! But don't get too cocky._

_Xoxo Bella_

_Haha, ouch Paul, what did she do? Have you on lockdown? Glad you haven't been biased though. Love you, and tell Emily thanks!_

_Xoxo Bella_

_Thanks Girls! Have fun cheerleading today if I don't get to see you before the game. Love you both!_

_Xoxo Bella_

_Hey, morning! I will see you at game time! Haha, glad my threat worked. I love you too, but I think you guys will be the ones going down…or well eating dirt. =)_

_Xoxo Bella_

_Oh Collin…so young and so naive. Just wait. You will never know who will be the champs. ;)_

_Xoxo Bella_

_Went a little over board there ay Quil? The evil laugh was a little much. But…as I told Sam, I believe you guys will be the ones going down…or eating dirt. Just a fyi. _

_Xoxo Bella._

When I was finally done responding, I got out of bed and ready for school.

I grabbed a drawstring gym bag and packed some extra clothes for the game and such.

After I was done, I made sure I had everything and then grabbed an apple and was out the door.

Classes were going unbelievably slow. It was unbearable.

Every two minutes I seemed to be looking at the clock, and every five questions, I seemed to get picked for an answer.

When dismissal came, I practically ran out the door. Each class went by exactly the same and I was getting tired of a boring day.

Lunch wasn't anything special either. I grabbed something from a bakery near by and ate while I read some chapters for homework.

When I was done, I headed back to campus for my last few classes.

The last part of my day was not too bad I guess.

Instead of paying attention, I took out the wrinkly pieces of paper that held the game plans from the gym bag.

I looked at what we drew and memorized each step over and over to make sure that there weren't any flaws.

When I was satisfied, I stuffed the paper back in the bag and paid attention to the rest of the lesson.

The day finally ended, and it was time to leave.

I was out of the room and outside the building in a matter of minutes.

Without thinking, I started the bike, kicked up the kickstand, and was off to drop off my bike.

When I rode back to my place, I parked my bike and teleported to Sam's.

I figured he would be finishing up work and then go straight to Jake's house for the game, so I trotted down the stairs and towards the door.

I found a note stuck to the door addressed to me.

_Hey babe,_

_Just wanted to say good luck before the game. Remember not be a sore loser when we win._

_We are going to be kicking your ass's this time. I mean after all…they do have me on the team. =)_

_Make yourself at home. What's mine is yours ;)_

_Love you._

_Sam Xoxo_

I smiled at his thoughtfulness and laughed at his corny comments of winning, but I rolled my eyes at his comment of 'what's mine is yours'. We got into a fight about that with money. Oh heavens, he drove me crazy that day.

I dwelled on the memory for a second before taking the note off the door, and sticking it in my bag.

The old door creaked as I swung it open, and banged when I shut it.

I made my way to the woods and ran up a tree.

_Time to have some fun._ I told myself.

I leaped from tree to tree, flying through the air.

I kind of felt like a super hero or Tarzan.

I began swinging off branches, and doing flips in the air. It was freedom.

When I saw the opening to Jake's place I quickly did my last flip against a tree, before jumping down and landing on the ground with a perfect finish.

"Hey guys." I said running over to the huddle. Jared, Kim, Brady, Seth, and Emily were all standing the side of the house talking.

Everyone looked over and smiled.

"Hey Bella!" they all said.

We all talked for a second and I laughed at Emily and Kim.

They were actually going to cheer. They had the big microphone things and were pumped.

Seth was kind to me as we talked about the game. When it started to become a bunch of separate conversations, I just talked to Seth and we spoke about our days.

We both agreed on how slow the day went, and he laughed at my embarrassing run in's of the day. I told him about how many times I got called on to answer questions and I had no idea what the question or answer was.

Finally, after almost everyone came out to the backyard, Jake arrived from the house with Sam in tow.

"Ahh, and here come the later taters." I said, trying to act annoyed.

"Oh you love us." Jake huffed.

I rolled my eyes and stood there debating it with myself.

"Well…I don't know. I mean, I guess…if you are talking general. But it's a very…-"

"-detailed and complicated answer?" Sam guessed.

I looked up, kind of forgetting he was there. Usually it was just a 'Jake and Bella' thing, where we banter like crazy till someone stops or just huffs in annoyance cause they can't win.

"yeaaaa." I said drawing out the word.

He looked at me smug and I rolled my eyes, turning away from him. I opened my mouth to ask when we were going to start the game, when I was beat to the bush.

"Detailed?" Brady asked.

"Complicated?" Collin asked right after him; referring to my explanation with Jake.

"Well at least it wasn't the same word at the same time. We are making progress here boys." I murmured.

Everyone laughed and the two boys blushed.

"But to answer your question. Yes, detailed and complicated."

Every guy from the pack looked at me kind of crazy. So I looked to the girls and they gave me a nod of understanding.

"Oh come on!" I said, acting like this was simple. (Well, it kind of was.)

"You guys think you are perfect." I muttered.

"And girls don't?" Quil asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him and pointed my finger at him. "We will get to battle of the sexes another time."

"But really? Detailed AND complicated?" Seth asked, thinking it wasn't even possible.

I rolled my eyes at all of them and groaned.

"Come on girls. You have to help me here." I told them.

The girls looked over the guys slowly and then went back to me. "Their hopeless in understanding." They said together.

They laughed amongst themselves at their exact response, which caused me to groan again. _Way to leave a girl behind._

"Come on Bella, explain it to us." Jake smiled.

I narrowed my eyes at him, but found I was overruled by the ratio of guys.

"Ugh! Fine. Well…I don't know. You can like a guy. Or love him." I said, from the matter of question.

"But it's another thing to actually Love him love him. Like a madly in love with him, or a true love type of thing." I tried explaining. I could see how lost the guys were, so I thought for a second.

"You can like or love someone in general. Their actions, or words, or interests, or even what they represent. But to actually love someone; It's different. You can't just like the person. It has to be more than that. It has to be deeper."

Everyone looked at me like they were starting to get it, so I continued.

"So when I said my answer would be more detailed and complicated when answering Jake's stupid comment of me loving him I just meant there are more ways to think about it and answer the question."

"So then tell us." Paul said quite amused.

I laughed and shook my head. "That is for a wayyy other time. Like years and years from now. And I would need like months to explain it all." I teased.

"So who's ready to start a football game?" a voice questioned.

We all looked over to the back door and found Billy being wheeled out by Charlie and Sue.

"Dad!" I yelled and ran for him.

He caught me in his arms and hugged me tight. "Bells." He whispered.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, looking at the adults.

"Well, sue here told me about a football game you all were planning. And well…we couldn't miss it. Especially with a Bella Sam face off." Billy let out.

We all laughed and I rolled my eyes. I let go of Charlie and bent down to hug him. "It's not that big of a deal."

Sue, Charlie and Billy all seemed to laugh.

"Yea, well we will see who wins and then look back on that comment." Charlie supplied.

"So we didn't miss anything did we?" Sue asked as I hugged her.

"Nope. We didn't start yet. Bella was just finishing telling us that love is detailed and complicated, especially when it comes to loving Jake apparently." Quil blabbed.

I rolled my eyes and looked at them.

"I didn't necessarily say that. Jake was just be obnoxious and he said 'oh you love me' and I said 'generally yes…but the answer is detailed and complicated.' I didn't mean I didn't love Jake."

Billy and Charlie looked at me with furrowed brows, but Sue nodded her head with agreement.

"I hear you there girl." She raised.

I laughed as all the guys looked at her like she joined the crazies.

"Oh come on. You boys are so complicated and detailed. And loving you is exactly the same thing." She argued.

"Whatever Sue." Billy said, shaking his head. Jake and the pack began to fill everyone in about things while I stood by Sue, watching them.

"It's a girl thing." I whispered to her. She laughed out loud and nodded.

"True that Bella, true that."

When everything was explained, we all went to go our separate ways to our teams.

Before I could get very far, I was lifted off the ground and kissed on the cheek from behind.

"Hi." Sam said sweetly as he put me back down.

I smiled up at him, raising a hand to his cheek. "Hey."

"Get my note?" he asked.

I felt my smile grow and a nodded. "Yup. Cute. Reallyyyy." I said sarcastically as I shifted in his arms.

He gave a throaty chuckle at my comment and I kissed him to shut his stupid laughter up.

"Good luck." He said, pulling away.

"Yup. You too." I told him, walking to my team.

We all huddled in a circle with our arms around each other and bent down.

"Alright. You all ready?" I asked.

I got a round of 'yea's' and 'sure's' and I shook my head.

"No, I asked ARE YOU ALL READY?" I shouted at the end.

They are gave a huge grin and began to shout.

"HELL YEA!"

I stood up laughing. That wasn't what I expected. Jake's team looked at me funny, so bent back down to get serious.

"Alright guys. Jake and his team think they are going to make a comeback this year. We gunna let that happen?" I asked, raising my voice again to get them pumped.

"Hell no!" they shouted.

"And Jake's team thinks that by the end of this game, they are going to get to boss us around. Is that gunna happen?" I yelled to them.

"HELL NO!" they shouted louder.

"That's right! Now let's go play our best and kick their asses out there!" I cheered.

We all hooted and hollered in excitement and then broke apart.

We lined up at the line and began our first play. _**(A/N: Sorry, I don't know football very well. So this might not be very detailed.)**_

"One…Two…Three…hut!" I yelled and then threw the ball to Jared.

Jared caught it and began running to score.

We all ran to defend him and made sure he got passed Jake's team. I tackled Quil to the ground while Leah got Sam, and Embry and Brady got Seth and Collin.

"Touchdown!" Paul hollered.

I could hear all the guys shout and laugh in excitement. I quickly ran up to Jared and gave him a high five.

"Play #1 down." I whispered. He looked at me and nodded with a smile.

The rest of the afternoon pretty much went like this. Except the score changed…quite a lot I might add and Sam and I got into it many times.

"Score?" Jared huffed.

"11 to 10. Bella's team up." Paul yelled.

We all huffed in exhaustion. Jake wanted it to be a win by 2 and I swear he made that rule so we didn't just slaughter his ass in the beginning of the game.

"_We so kicked your asses!" I yelled to Jake._

"_Oh come on Bella! Win by 2. That's how it should be." Jake said back._

_We fought for minutes before Leah and Jared pulled me back, while Sam and Seth pulled Jake away. The score was 7 to 6, my team being up._

_Billy, Charlie and Sue all talked about it, and decided we had to win by 2 because we never set a true number limit."_

Jared, Leah, Brady, Embry and I all got into another huddle, talking over our last few plans.

"We don't have any more drawn out plans." Embry heaved with exhaustion.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Well, if we don't re use a plan, then we don't have any more to play." He said.

I groaned, along with the rest of the team. We were all tired, muddy, hungry and quite sore.

"Wing it." Leah suggested.

Everyone looked at each other and then me. I shrugged. _What the heck? Why not?_

"Sure. Go for it."

We all talked a little more. Right before we had to get pumped up, Jared and Leah both looked at me. "We'll take Sam. Just go for the gold." They smiled.

I laughed and nodded. Sam and I ran into some issues with each other. Let's just say I don't know if I want to talk to him for a while. Haha.

_Touchdown here I come… _I kept thinking to myself.

We began chanting our last chant and then walked to the line.

I stared Sam in the eyes and watched as he smirked.

"Just a game baby. Remember that." He said.

I held back an eye roll and maintained a straight face. _Yea, just a game I am about to whoop your ass in._

I heard someone yelling hut hut and I ran.

I didn't know where to run or the place I should be in, but I ran.

Jared had the ball, and passed it to Embry as Collin attacked him. Embry ran and went to throw the ball to Brady when Seth caught it.

I didn't know what to do. I looked at Jared and Leah but they were too in the game.

Leah was running to catch up to Seth, which didn't go unnoticed by him. Seth threw the ball and Leah jumped up in the air and caught it.

Sam was going right for her, so she threw it high up in the air.

Who knows where she was throwing it to, but I immediately ran for it.

Quil had the same idea, so I pushed myself to go the fastest I had ever gone.

Everyone was racing for Quil and me.

I felt like the football was spinning in slow motion. I could almost see it rotating in the air. I began to slow down my pace and watch as the ball spinned.

I must have been so focused on the ball that I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going.

"Bella! Watch out!" Embry and Leah shouted.

I looked away from the ball and looked all around me.

Seth was right behind me, getting ready to push me to the ground, while Sam was about to tackle me from the front.

I panicked. I went with my first instincts; I closed my eyes and jumped in the air hoping they missed me.

And they did.

Seth jumped to catch me but fell to the ground, as Sam leapt for me with his arms wide.

As gravity began pulling me back down to the ground, I quickly ran over Sam's backside and down his body.

When I looked back for the guys, Sam and Seth were in a pile on the ground.

I looked all around for the ball and saw Quil had it in his hands right by their end zone.

He was looking for anyone open to pass the ball to, and I smiled. He was distracted.

I quickly ran for him, running as fast as I could go.

Unfortunately, I began to slow down and move a different direction as he called for Jake.

"Jake! Jake!" Quil shouted.

"I'm open man!" Jake called back.

Quil threw his arm back and we all watched as the ball spun.

Jake was right by his end zone. There was no way any member from my team would be able to make it over there to catch Jake in time.

Breaths were held, but I didn't stop going.

Right as Jake was about to catch the ball, I jumped up as high as I could and caught the ball.

Everyone was stunned, and I took that chance to begin running.

Jared, Leah, Embry and Brady were all stuck on defense. So it was all up to me.

I began running, with Jake hot on my tail. I darted left and right, making sure I didn't let my moves become a pattern.

Sam must have gotten through the crowd of our defense because he was about to trap me again between Jake.

I knew I couldn't jump in the air because I knew he would be ready for it.

I let out a screech and did a dive with the ground. I didn't know what else to do.

I hit the ground and went into a summersault to get back up. When I stood up, I noticed I still had the ball in my hand.

What?

"Go Bella! Go!" Brady shouted.

I looked behind me and saw Jake and Sam tangled in each other.

I laughed at them and then ran for the end zone.

It was like I could taste touchdown. It seemed almost too real.

I could see the end zone and felt like no one would stop me.

A hand darted out to get me, but quickly retracted. I looked over to my left and found the hand was Seth's and it was pulled away by Leah.

I laughed at Leah's concentrated face, but when I looked in front of me again, Quil was coming for me.

I panicked, but found Jared coming to tackle him.

Quil jumped in front of me along with Jared who was bringing him down to the ground.

I yelped, tripping into the air because I ran out of ground to run on because of their massive bodies.

I was about to end up going face first into the muddy ground till I quickly tucked my legs into my body and did a flip.

I landed my ground, with the ball still in my hands.

My back was facing the ground, and when I turned around, everyone's faces were stunned.

Massive grins began to spread across my team's faces, so I looked down at the ground and found we scored the touchdown!

"Wohoo!" Jared yelled.

Leah came and pulled me into a hug as we screamed and chanted "We won!"

Our happy parade was interrupted as Jake began making a fuss.

"That's not fair! You can't just go and do a bunch of flips and win! It's not how you play football!" he protested.

His whole team began to make a fuss, including Sam.

"Get over yourselves! We won. Fair and square. Just because you couldn't tackle me doesn't mean that it wasn't fair we won." I said.

The adults, cheerleaders and Paul came over.

"Paul! You saw that. It wasn't fair." Jake said.

"Yes it was!" I yelled.

We all looked at Paul and waited for him to decide.

He whispered something to Sue and she nodded.

Sue then whispered to Charlie and he listened. Then he whispered something back to her, but she quickly responded.

He ended up nodding too, and then told Billy.

Billy nodded and whispered something to Charlie.

Charlie laughed and whispered to Sue.

"Oh would you gossiping girls please share the news?" I said antsy.

They all gave me a raised eyebrow and Kim and Emily laughed.

"Its fair, son" Billy said to Jake. We all looked at each other and then waited for a better answer. _Did that mean we lost?_

"Bella's team won!" Sue shouted.

Our faces became ecstatically happy and we all shouted.

"Wohoo!" Jared shouted and twirled a laughing Kim in the air

"Yes!" Brady said, pumping a fist in the air.

"Hell Yea!" Embry yelled.

"Ahhh!" Leah and I shouted, jumping up and down.

When we finally calmed down, we turned back to our opponents and narrowed our eyes at them.

"Payback is going to be a bitch." Leah said.

We all laughed at her comment except for Jake's team. They seemed to swallow hard.

Everyone congratulated our team.

"Bella, that was so cool how you dodged everyone at the end." Kim gushed. I laughed and blushed.

"Thanks Kim. And nice cheerleading." I told the two.

They both blushed while everyone laughed.

"So is there going to be any problems with the happy couple?" Billy asked, referring to me and Sam.

I looked at him, giving him the 'look over'. He was covered with mud and looked disappointed that my team won. Then I factored in all of his comments and actions in the game and debated with myself.

"Eh." I said half joking while giving him a look.

Everyone laughed and Sam just stood there and sighed.

"So…we won!" Brady exclaimed jumping up.

We all laughed and smiled. "Yes we did."

"So what should we tell them to do first?" Leah asked the team and turned to me.

I gave an evil smirk to them and smiled.

"Oh, they are in for it." Billy muttered.

"Can't agree more with you there, old man." Charlie said.

"Who you callin' old?" Billy asked joking.

"You." He said simply and dodged away from Billy's attacks.

I watched as the old men had their little quarrel behind us and chuckled.

"Soo…what are we going to do?" Embry asked looking at me.

I thought about it for a second before I heard Billy and Charlie come back up behind me.

Jake and his team stood in front of us, waiting.

A thought crossed my mind and a smirk grew on my lips.

"Ever heard of hell, boys?" I asked all of them.

They looked at me and nodded slowly.

"Good, cause you are about to enter it." I said grinning like an evil fool.

Leah hugged my side and laughed at my comment. The looks on their faces were priceless.

Jared and Embry came over to slap me a high five while the adults stood in the back chuckling.

When everyone settled down and waited for me to give them an order, Brady made his way over to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, smirking like an idiot.


	13. Cleaning the house AN:slightly rated M!

"Billy, how's your house looking?" I questioned, turning back to him.

He gave me a look of confusion, but then got it.

"Well…it could use some cleaning. I don't think we've dusted or truly cleaned the place for a very long time." He said smiling.

I smiled right back and nodded. "Alright boys, first thing first. You are probably going to want to get cleaned up, and then get inside to clean Billy's house." I commanded.

I heard groans and complaints so I let out a huff.

"I didn't hear any groans or complaints did I? Cause if I remember correctly, we won…and that means you have to listen to us for a whole week."

"No Bella." They all said.

I smirked and nodded. "Alright then. Hop to it." I said, walking back to the gang.

They all began to walk away sulking when Leah walked up to where I stood moments before and stopped them.

"Nuh uh! You are not walking into your separate homes with muddy bodies. Go clean yourselves off with the hose or something. We will bring you towels and extra clothes."

They all looked at her wide eyed, so she crossed her arms and shifted her weight on one leg.

"Problems?" she growled.

"No."

"Nope."

"Got it."

They all said responding to Leah.

Jared, Embry, Brady and I were all leaning against each other laughing.

_Oh this was going to be fun._

Leah walked back to us and we all cheered and high fived her.

We talked a few more minutes, while watching the guys get the hose and spray each other down.

We all began walking up to the house, deciding the guys would need some clothes now. Jared and Embry took Brady to get some clothes for the guys from their houses, while Leah and I got some from Jakes.

Unfortunately, after we parted ways, Leah and I got to talking and weren't paying close attention.

Cold water hit my back with a hard splash and my body jumped up and froze. I gave a yelp at the coldness.

Leah quickly glanced over me and saw Sam with the hose in his hand. Her eyes narrowed to slits. Just as about Sam was about to do it again, she shoved us both to the side.

Leah got hit with the freezing water in the chest as she was pushing me away.

"Oh, its on." She muttered and ran for Sam.

Everyone went crazy and I stood there in shock watching.

Leah and Sam were fighting over the hose. When they both seemed to lose go of the hose, it went crazy wild and had a life of its own.

Everyone was getting wet and the guys were trying to catch it.

Leah scrambled to her feet and caught the hose and began spraying everyone.

She played it smart by putting her thumb on the spout, where the water came out, and it fanned out wide so it got all the guys.

She laughed wickedly. She was having way too much fun with this.

I decided to go and help her, so I ran over to Leah and stood next to her.

All of the guys were trying to duck and cover.

Sam, being as sneaky as he was, grabbed my waist when Leah wasn't looking and used me as a shield.

Leah quickly pushed the hose away and Sam held me tight.

"You suck." I told him, looking up from his wet, glistening body.

He smiled at me and gave me a quick kiss. I could feel the water begin to soak into the back of my shirt.

The guys all started talking, to try and formulate a plan to get the hose out of Leah's hands.

Sam's hands were still planted firmly on my waist, making sure that I couldn't go anywhere.

I gave Leah a look and I knew she was trying to come on up with something too.

Suddenly, Sam passed me to Jake and he smirked at me.

I heard the last few words of the plan come out of Quil's mouth and I yelled for Leah.

"Leah! Run! They are going to yank the hose away!" I said.

She looked at me wide eyes before smirking at Sam, who was walking toward her.

When he got close enough, she let the hose go wild once again.

It sprayed us all as it went crazy.

I got wet enough to slip away from Jake and towards Leah.

The boys tried hard to grab the hose, but I made sure they couldn't.

_Screw fair game_. I told myself.

Every time the hose came in close enough grip, I used my control of water and yanked it away.

When Seth caught on and everyone came after me, I decided I needed something better.

I controlled the water to make the hose spray water all over them.

They all yelled and ducked for cover against the ice cold water.

"What is going on here?" Sue asked shocked.

We all turned to her and saw her standing outside the house wide mouthed.

I telepathically turned off the water to the hose and watched it go limp.

I bit my lip and saw how much damage we did.

Not only were we dripping wet, but the backyard was a mess. There were wet with muddy puddles, and clumps of grass and muss all over from our running on the soft land.

It was a big crazy mess.

"Bella? Leah?" Jared asked.

We looked over to where the voice was coming, and we saw the three men coming out of the woods with clothes in hand.

"We didn't know you meant you were getting wet too." Brady said.

Leah and I looked at each other, then Sam, and huffed.

"We didn't. Sam got to us." I muttered, walking over to them.

They nodded and we walked to Sue and the house.

"Come on girls. Lets get you towels and dried off." She said in a motherly tone.

Sam was about to turn on the water to the hose again, but I quickly stopped him.

"Nuh uh. You all are dry enough. Stand out here and dry and maybe we will get you some new clothes."

They all sighed as I walked in the house.

Sue quickly wrapped me up into a towel and walked to the kitchen to make us some hot chocolate.

I went to go find Leah and found her in the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she patted herself down with a towel. She was a werewolf, she should have been dry.

"I don't have any extra clothes and I'm not taking Jake's, so I'm drying them off." She said.

I chuckled and shook my head.

"Come with me." I said, grabbing my bag and leading her into Jake's room.

"Bella, I said that…" she whined.

"I know." I cut in.

I pulled open my drawstring bag and threw her a baggy white shirt and some red basketball shorts that were sort of long and big on me.

"Try those. They should fit." I told her.

Luckily, I brought 2 changes of clothing.

I took out some hot pink elastic shorts with a white waist band and a light lime green tank top.

When I was dry and changed, I looked over to Leah.

She looked hot in sweats.

"Sexy." I observed.

She laughed and gave me a look over. "Are you trying to seduce Sam? Cause you are doing a very good job."

I looked down at what I was wearing and didn't get what she meant. Ok, my shorts were kind of short, but I didn't think it gave off the impression of a slut or something.

"What? I'm wearing sweats like you." I said.

She shook her head and led me to Jake's full length mirror.

"Your hot pink shorts look amazing on that body. They fit perfectly. They aren't too short so your butt's hanging out, but they aren't too long so that it looks like you've got something to hide. Look at your waist! The white elastic totally helps show off that skinny thing. Damn it looks hottt!" She gushed.

I laughed and she continued. "Your tank is the perfect color and shows off your curves. It's tight fitting, but not so tight that it looks uncomfortable. It clings nicely so it outlines your ripped body. It also shows off all your hard core muscles and makes you look fineee."

I laughed as she rubbed my stomach. "Ok, ok. I get it. Thank you for the lovely explanation. Now can we get back downstairs? Your mom was making hot chocolate."

She away from my abs in the mirror and looked at me wide eyed.

"Well why did you just let me stand there and talk about how good you looked in the mirror! The hot chocolate has my name written all over it. Let's get going!" Leah grabbed my hand and dragged me down the stairs as quick as possible.

We could hear everyone in the kitchen as Leah and I came down.

"They better have not taken all the hot chocolate or they are dead." She grumbled to me.

I laughed and continued to let her drag me into the noisy kitchen.

When we got there, the whole pack seemed to be in there. I tried looking around for Sue, my dad and Billy, but they seemed to be no where in sight.

Leah and I stood at the very end of the kitchen, practically in the doorway. The urge for drinking hot chocolate was pretty high, so Leah held on to my hand and made her way through the crowd, shoving the guys, till we got into the middle kitchen where she went to go get us some yummy hot chocolate.

I stood there and shifted awkwardly on each foot as the room was silent.

Leah came back with two steaming cups of chocolaty goodness and took a sip.

I stared at her, waiting for her to notice the silence.

Luckily, it only took her a sip to figure it out.

She looked at me and I gave her a look saying I had no clue.

"Something wrong?" she asked the room full of people.

Everyone stared at us shocked.

"What are you both wearing?" Seth asked, breaking the silence.

"Clothes." Leah said slowly, thinking it was obvious.

"You girls call those clothes?" Quil asked.

Leah and I looked at all them funny and then I got what was wrong.

I touched Leah's upper arm and she looked at me. "The mirror."

This time, she gave me a funny look and I rolled my eyes. "The mirror! You know, what you were explaining to me as we stood in front of the mirror."

As soon as I said it, her face clicked and she wore a smirk on her face.

"Yes Quil. We are wearing clothes. That's what girls usually wear. Lucky for you, Bella loaned me an extra outfit of hers because somebody decided to be immature and get us wet." She explained while giving Sam glares.

Sam looked stunned and kind of seemed like he didn't know what to do. I was waiting for some playful banter back, but all he did was stand there and look at us. I nervously sipped my hot chocolate till Leah bent down a little to whisper in my ear.

"Well, it looks like somebody is getting something tonight."

I immediately coughed and blushed a nice shade of pink. I looked up to the guys through my eyelashes and found they were still looking at us. There were no sexual comments or words being shouted, so I knew they didn't hear. Thank heavens for that.

She passed me a smirk when my coughing died down and continued to keep her cool.

We waited for someone to say something but before anyone could Sue came in the kitchen along with Billy and Charlie shortly behind her.

"Oh my, well you girls look just amazing." She said giving Leah a kiss on the head.

We both blushed a little and smiled.

"What the hell are you girls wearing?" Charlie asked, looking between Leah and I.

The blush on my cheeks continued to deepen and I tried to regain some composer.

"Oh please don't start. We are already hearing it from the guys." I murmured.

"but if you want someone to blame, you can blame Sam." Leah spoke up.

I gave a small chuckle and playfully nudged her side.

"Sam?" My dad asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well he was the one who got us wet and made us change." Leah said.

"Yea, but he didn't make you put on those clothes." Jake pointed.

"Hey, I didn't see you complaining by the looks of things." Leah barked.

I shook my head in disgust. I didn't really need to know that.

"Ok, too much there Leah." Charlie said shaking his head. I really wanted to change the topic and Billy was the first one to do so.

"So Bella, how does it feel to be the champ again?" Billy joked.

I laughed and nodded. "It feels good. Really good." I corrected, thinking it over a little bit more.

"And how's it feel to know your house will be cleaned from top to bottom, looking spotless in a matter of hours?" I asked him with a smile, indirectly telling the guys what they were going to do.

I heard groans coming from Jake's team, which made my smile just continue to grow.

"Oh well it feels great. Thank you for doing this. I can't wait to be in a spotless and overly clean home."

"Oh any time Billy. If you need anything else for the next whole week, you can always just give me a call and I would be happy to boss the guys around for you." I said, stretching out the word 'whole' to emit more groans from the guys.

"Why thank you Bella. That's very kind of you." He said in a joking matter.

Our playful banter continued as we talked amongst ourselves. Occasionally I would look up at Sam and find him staring at me, but I would quickly look away, blushing and continue to talk to Billy. When I finally did look up, glancing at everyone I found Jake's team just standing around the kitchen talking like it was a party.

"Umm…aren't you boys supposed to be doing something?" I asked them.

I looked at each and every one of their guilty faces. They all seemed to be filled with dread and misery. When I got to Sam, I gulped. His eyes showed no evidence of paying attention to the fact he had to clean hard core.

His eyes showed lust and love; it was like he couldn't wait to grab me into his arm and take me on the table or something.

Jared must have noticed that I stopped paying attention after I looked at Sam, so he took over for me.

"Alright guys. Hop to it."

"And remember, every room in every place. Make sure it looks spotless." Brady chimed in.

"And we will be coming in to check!" Embry shouted.

While the boys cleaned and Emily and Kim spied, Leah and I talked a little.

"Did you see the way Sam was looking at you? Damn I thought he was going to take you right there."

I blushed and rolled my eyes. "Well did you see the way Jake was looking at you? He was like 10 times worse than Sam. I swear he created so much sexual tension that I feel dirty." I muttered, taking a long sip of hot chocolate.

She laughed and blushed a little.

I listened and closed my eyes, hearing the sound of the game that Charlie and Billy were watching.

Sue went home a little over an hour ago, after watching the boys clean on their hands and knees for a few minutes.

Kim and Emily soon joined our little corner and began filling us in on what they saw.

We laughed as Seth and Jake fought over who had to clean the toilets.

Quil was on laundry duty, Collin was dusting, and Sam was making all the beds and tidying the rooms.

"They still have a lot of work to do. They haven't even touched the cleaning supplies yet." Emily laughed.

"And wait till they start washing the floors and vacuuming. Oh that will be funny to watch." Kim chuckled.

They all continued to talk and laugh as I stared out the window.

It was getting dark…too dark for my liking. I would have to be getting home soon.

"As much as I would like to stay, I really have to get going." I told them.

I hugged them all goodbye and told them I would see them tomorrow.

I made my ways all around the house, saying goodbye to each and every one of them.

Of course, I didn't even think about hugging their dirty bodies. They were about 2 hours into cleaning already…no way.

Sam was my last goodbye out of all the guys before I had to tell my dad and Billy I was leaving.

I made my way down the hall to the guest bedroom and found Sam putting the sheets on the bed.

I leaned my body against the doorframe and laughed. He would make a pretty good house wife…or husband in this case.

I walked into the room and went over to Sam. I guess since he was my boyfriend I would give him a kiss.

"Hey baby. I have to get going." I told him as he looked up from bed making.

His eyes fell in sadness, but he gave me 'the look over' again.

I rolled my eyes and felt a chill of creepiness roll down my spine.

"Stop doing that." I whined. "It's creepy."

Goosebumps started to appear on my arms so I crossed them in discomfort.

He cleared his throat and walked over to me.

"Sorry babe. Its just you look…" he said, looking me over once again.

I rolled my eyes and backed away from him.

"Uh huh. Well I will see you tomorrow."

"Don't I get a kiss?" he asked as I began walking out of the room.

"Sam, you've been cleaning a house. A house Billy said hasn't been cleaned in a while."

"But ive been on bed duty." He said while wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive matter.

I let out a laugh and a grin appeared on his face.

"Fine."

I walked over to him, putting my hands on his pectoral muscles and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Be home later tomorrow. I have student teaching." I murmured and went to pull away.

Sam's arms locked around my waist, holding me close to him.

"Cant you skip it?" he whined, looking down at my lips.

I rolled my eyes at the silly question. "No. Are you crazy? I would like to pass my classes. And even if I could; what would I say?" I asked him.

He flashed me a smile and brought our bodies closer than they already were.

"Well, you could say that you have a very sexy boyfriend at home that really wants to see you and is quite horny. Explain to them that he has been dying to kiss you ever since you wore these very short hot pink shorts with a tight tank top. Then tell her that your boyfriend hasn't had much quality time with you and is practically dying to touch you." He growled, looking down at my neck and chest just waiting to kiss there.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep a clear head.

"I don't think that will really fly with the dance teacher." I joked.

"Dance teacher? Well in that case you could say you would be dancing with me…just with a little less clothing, your feet touching dangling off the floor and your body a little closer than usual to mine." He growled in a low voice.

The imagery of Sam and I having sex was just about mind blowing. I felt how wet I was getting and knew I had to go. If Sam was going to keep this up, he would smell me in a matter of seconds.

"St-still don't think that will fly." I stuttered in his arms. I tried pulling away again, but he just held on tighter.

"Sam, I have to go. It's getting late." I tried.

"Bella." He moaned, finally sinking his lips down on my neck while his hands traveled down my sides.

My body shuddered while my mouth let out a gasp. I couldn't help but to run one of my hands through his hair.

He kissed and sucked all down the column of my throat, hitting all the spots I loved most. I felt his hand slid down my thigh and bring it up to his hip.

This was his favorite position. It was a way he could thrust up into me and get a gasp or moan out of me. Plus, I knew when we finally would have sex; he would get real deep inside of me with this angle.

"Sam." I moaned in his ear. He was driving me insane. His tongue darted out and gave me a long swipe against the neck.

I tried to keep my moaning to a minimum, but Sam wasn't having it.

He thrusted his hips up harder and moved his hands down to cup my breasts.

"Fuck! Sam" I muttered. "The guys are in the same house. We can't do this now." I said, briefly closing my eyes as he rubbed his thumbs over the spot right where my nipples would be under the bra.

"Please Bella; I'm so fucking horny for you. Do you know what this outfit has done to me babe?" he asked me, briefly looking up from my neck.

I looked at him, examining his face. His lips were all red from kissing me and his eyes were almost black with lust.

"I know. And I'm sorry baby, but we can't here or now. I have to go." I said, brushing my fingertips against his face.

He groaned and nuzzled his head in my neck.

I kept my one arm that was wrapped around his neck tightly around him as he held onto my leg that was above his hip.

My eyes closed as I listened to him breathe in deeply and rub circles around my thigh.

His hips suddenly grinded against pelvis; letting his hard on touch my wet core.

"This is what you are doing to me Bella." He groaned taking in a deep breath. He suddenly growled and looked at me.

"I can smell you baby. I can smell how much you want me. I can smell how wet you are for me."

I bit my lip and closed my eyes. _Don't think of this now. I need to go. Need to get home._

"Sam." I half whined as he grinded into me again.

"I want this too Sam. But we cant now. Soon. But not now." I said, brushing his temple with my thumb.

I moved my leg that was on his hip as an indicator to let my leg down.

He put his forehead against my chin and released my leg, breathing heavily.

"I will see you tomorrow?" he asked, pulling away to look at me.

"Yes." I whispered, trying to collect my thoughts.

He leaned in a kissed my head. "Ok, I love you."

I smiled and looked up at him. The lust in his eyes was still there, but love seemed to overpower it.

"I love you too."

I pulled away from him and began walking out of the room.

"And finish making the bed will ya?" I asked, teasing him.

He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at me as he grabbed the comforter. I laughed and walked away.

I was lucky to have Sam. He respected my wishes and controlled himself well in the bedroom_…well for the most part_. I thought to myself.

"Dad." I said walking over to the recliner chair.

"I'm going to go. I have to head back." I whispered to him. He looked at me with tired eyes. He slowly rubbed his face while sitting up. He took a glance outside and rubbed his eyes again.

"Bella, isn't it a little late now to be going back?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well its better to go now then later. I have classes early in the morning. I should be home tomorrow though."

He shook his head and looked up at me. "Why cant you just skip your classes tomorrow?"

I rolled my eyes. "Geez you sound like Sam." I muttered.

He raised and eyebrow and I quickly diverted the conversation.

"I want to actually pass my class's dad. By skipping school, it doesn't really give me that advantage. Plus I have to student teach tomorrow at the martial arts center."

He rolled his eyes a little, but let me go. "Fine fine. Just make sure to be careful. And call me when you get home." He warned.

I walked over to Billy and gave him a hug. "Dad, it will be like 4 in the morning when I call you." I said, feeding him a small lie. "I'm not going to do that. I will be fine. You will see me tomorrow. Don't worry."

"Bye Billy." I said. "Thanks for letting us have the game here. And I hope the boys did a good job cleaning."

He laughed and nodded. "Anytime Bella. It was a fun day. I'm sure the boys cleaned their hardest today. I appreciate you telling them to do that for me."

I smiled. "Oh it wasn't a problem. I think they will be getting their daily dose of helping other people and doing some community work for the next week."

The three of us laughed and I made m way out the door.

"Bye everyone!" I shouted and then shut the door.

I walked over to the side of the house, near the windows of the kitchen, and then teleported home.


	14. Uh oh

The next morning was a drag. Classes were boring and normal and then only thing I got to look forward to was the student teaching.

The kids were great and the teacher was nice, but it didn't seem like anyone was having fun. I studied the teacher for a while, noticing how serious she was. Slowly, I began joining the class; helping whoever needed it.

By the end of the day, a thin layer of sweat lay on my head and my lungs gasped for air.

Classes were over and I finally got to go home and change; the day was interesting. I noticed how dedicated the kids were, but they took it all too serious for my liking.

I quickly took a shower and then put on a light blue jean skirt that was sort of worn out and frayed; then I wore a light yellow flowy shirt that was spaghetti strapped with a ribbony line running down the middle.

I took my hair out of the ponytail, and let the curls hang free. My hair was now about down to the middle of my back and as wavy as could be.

I quickly ran a brush through it and then swiftly put on a little bit of makeup.

When I was just about ready, I slid on a pair of bright yellow flip flops and was on my way.

I teleported to Sam's house and found it surprisingly quite.

_Hmmm…what is going on?_

"Sam?" I called walking down the stairs to the front door.

"Bella, get back and stay in the house." Leah commanded, slamming the back door shut and grabbing my wrist to steer me away from the front door.

She brought me into the kitchen and sat me down on a chair while looking all around precautiously.

"What's going on Le-le?" I asked nervously. My eyes followed her as she walked around the room like a nut case.

Something was wrong. The guys were gone and Sam wasn't here.

"Bloodsucker." She gritted and looked out the window.

"A vampire? Is everyone ok?" I asked, feeling my heart pounded hard against my chest.

She didn't meet my eyes and walked away from the window.

"I don't know. When I left the guys were chasing one of them, not including the guy with the dreads."

"Lau-Laurent is here?" I asked incredulously as I stumbled on his name.

She looked at me briefly before nodding.

"We suddenly picked up his smell about an hour ago, and then some other bloodsucker came into the picture. Sam and the guys are all out chasing them now."

I stood up from my chair and looked at her alarmed.

"We have to go help them!"

"NO! We are not going to do that. Sam gave me strict orders to keep you safe in here. You are not leaving this house Bella. Let the guys take care of it. They will be fine."

I shook my head furiously. "No they won't. If Laurent is here, that means James is close by, and you guys can't fight him off. Remember last time Jake tried to do that?" I asked her, panic evident in my voice.

Fear flickered in her eyes for a brief moment before shaking her head. "I can't let you go Bella, they will be fine. I'm supposed to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do. Now sit down and let me do what I was told." She scolded.

I looked at her in shock. She was just going to keep walking back and forth, waiting for the guys to come back.

"No, Leah. We have to go. If you wont come with me then I will go alone." I stated firmly.

This was my family. No one was going to get hurt. Not while I'm here.

"Bella." She growled, looking away from the windows.

Suddenly, we heard a high pitched whine and boom come from the back.

"Stay here." She commanded while running out to the back of the house.

For a second, I listened to Leah. I stood there frozen in terror and shock.

Could this be it? Could this be the day I loose everybody I love?  
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, and ran to catch up with Leah.

I ran down the familiar hallway which lead to the door of the backyard.

What I saw made my heartbreak.

There was a Sandy wolf, whining in pain in the middle of the yard with a vampire sanding in front of his body about to finish him off.

_Seth!_ I screamed in my head.

I quickly flung my arm across the air, telepathically flinging him to the other side of the huge yard.

The vampire went flying into the forest and I ran over to Seth.

"Seth, oh my god. Are you ok? Seth?" I asked panicky.

His high pitched whines were sending me into tears and all I could do was run my hair through his fur.

Suddenly, he let out a bark and I looked up to see the vampire standing in front of us.

"Stupid little girl." He sneered and went for me.

I watched in slow motion as his hands came for me, trying to grab my throat.

I quickly put on my game face and took his wrists tightly together in my hand and threw him into the forest.

Seth put his head back down on the grass and whined.

"Bella!" Leah shouted, coming out of the forest.

"What are you doing out here? I thought I told you to stay inside damn it!" she yelled.

My eyes grew big as the vampire was about to attack her from behind.

"Leah! Watch out!" I yelled. I heard her suck in a deep breath so I panicked and telepathically flung him into a tree again.

Leah looked behind her and then back at me. She let out a breath and then ran over to Seth.

"Oh gosh." She whispered, petting his fur with tears in her eyes.

A bustle came through the forest and Leah and I quickly stood up.

She brought herself in front of me to shield me and we stood there frozen, watching and listening to our surroundings.

Suddenly the vampire came flying out of the woods and straight towards us.

Before I could bring myself to warn her, she was flung across the yard and hit her head against a tree.

Panic hit me as I watched Leah laying there by the tree. I wanted to yell and run to her, but before I could get anywhere the vampire picked me up by the throat.

I couldn't get a read on who he was or what he was doing since he was wearing gloves and long clothing.

I began choking and gasping for air as he held me above ground, letting my feet dangle in the air.

He brought his face close to mine and inhaled deeply.

"Ah, you smell so delicious. No wonder why Laurent wants you." He purred.

I wiggled and struggled against his grip, but I could feel my body start to shut down.

"It's too bad that he will miss out on feeding from you. He told me there would be consequences if I didn't give him to you, but I am a vampire with my own wants and needs. And right now, I need your blood." He whispered to me and brought his nose close to my hand covered neck.

I flinched away and fought for consciousness.

If his hand was going to close on my neck any further, I was going to suffocate or pass out.

_Think Bella, think!_

I heard Seth give out a whine and the vampire growled.

He lifted his leg and stepped on Seth's ribs.

He let out a painful yelp and I closed my eyes in sadness.

As I let my thoughts wander, I thought about everyone.

Paul and his stupid comments; Emily, with her parties; Kim with her bubbly personality; Jared and his ways of being a protective brother; Jake, my best friend and brother figure; Leah, my sister and twin; Seth, my little brother and close friend; Embry and Quil with their jokes and ways to protect me; and lastly Sam. Sam, the love of my life. The man who is always patient and loving with me. The one I can't spend a day without thinking about.

Sam. I cried, trying my hardest to connect with his mind.

Bella?- **He** cried.

I listened to the pack and their yelling but I blocked it out. I needed to focus on Sam.

Sam, you need to get back to your house now. Its Seth and Leah. **–Bella**

Bella, where are you? The guys are coming for Seth. Leah was supposed to protect you! I'm coming, just hold on. **- Sam**

I'm here too…and she was…It was my fault, I disobeyed her command- **I** said; my head was starting to feel a little fuzzy and I felt like I was losing the connection.

The yelling from the pack came back and I winced.

Bella, don't you dare loose the connection. The boys are almost there ok? Come on baby. Are you ok? What happened to Leah? –**Sam** said panicked.

I heard Seth yelp again and I knew I needed to do something.

I have to go. Just hurry up and get here guys. Love you- **I** told them all and then opened my eyes, breaking the connection.

The vampire was now holding me with one hand and hurting Seth in the other.

I could tell Seth was trying to be strong and hold on, but the whines and cries of pains he was letting out established something different.

A sudden rush of energy hit me and I looked at the vamp with angry eyes.

I wrapped my hands around the one he had around my neck and let heat surge through my body.

He let go in pain and yelled. I smiled briefly.

_I should have thought of burning his hands a while ago_. I grumbled to myself as I brushed myself off from the ground.

He stopped beating up Seth and growled at me.

His blood red eyes not only showed thirst but rage.

"Fuck you." I spat, as we stood across from each other.

Within a few milliseconds, he came charging at me.

I dodged his attacks to my upper body and hit him square in the chest with as much force as I could muster.

He flew back by where Leah was laying against a tree and scrambled back on his feet.

His glance flew from me to her. A smirk began to spread across his face and I quickly panicked. I put a shield around her body before he could touch her.

He went to attack her, but was stopped by the force-field. He growled and hit it again. A blue ripple went around her and disappeared.

The brown haired vampires head snapped back to me and ran at me with full speed.

Unfortunately, as we fought, he kicked my legs from underneath me and it knocked the wind out of me.

In that second of being unfocused, he brought his elbow down at full speed and broke some of my ribs.

I let out a cry of pain and grabbed the man's hair.

As the pain pulsed my body, I brought my knee up to his face and pushed his head down.

There was a loud crack and I flew him backwards.

Slowly, I got up, wincing in pain.

"Bella." Leah muttered, coming into consciousness.

My head snapped to her and I made sure I kept a force field around her.

She grabbed her head with a hand and leaned against the tree trying to get up.

I heard her groan as the force-field stopped her from getting up all the way.

"Bella, take this thing down." She moaned.

The vampire seemed to have gotten back up and came after me again.

"Cant right now Leah. Can you hold on for a second?" I asked as I began kicking this vampire's ass.

Leah looked over to me and then blinked a couple of times.

"Shit. Vampire. Bella, get me out of this thing right now." She commanded.

I rolled my eyes as I kept fighting the vampire. There was no way I was going to risk her getting in the way.

I could already tell he was in a lot of pain as I kept burning him though his clothes with my heat covered hands.

Within a matter of minutes, he was practically dead.

I stood over him with an arm over my stomach huffing in pain.

My foot was pressed lightly over his throat, just like that vampire Victoria did to me in the woods a while back.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He let out his last few breaths in a chuckle.

"You will never get anything out of me."

I rolled my eyes feeling in pain and pissed off.

I held him up in the air telepathically and pulled off his glove.

When I touched his hand, flashbacks filled my head.

_They were in a dark, wet alley way, all lined up like military soldiers._

"_I want you to find me Bella Swan." Laurent growled, walking up and down the line of vampires._

_They all shook their head in agreement and he smiled._

"_When you get close to her, what will you do?" he asked them._

"_Call for you." They all responded at the exact same time._

"_And when you get her, what will you do?" he asked them all again._

"_Bring her to you." They said together, not even flinching._

"_And what must you never do to Bella Swan unless I say so?" he questioned._

"_Kill her."_

"_Or?" he asked grinning._

"_Feed off of her." They all spoke_

_He smiled at them one last time, before dismissing them._

_I then appeared in the forest. The vampire that I was touching was hiding in a tree while James and Laurent spoke._

"_I want Bella Swan." James growled._

"_And we will get her." Laurent said back._

"_Did you send them?" James asked._

_Laurent smiled slyly. "Oh yes, I did."_

"_And you are sure they will not go against your commands?" James growled, moving so close to Laurent that their noses were almost touching._

_Laurent gulped and backed away slightly. "Not in the least. They are newborns. Vampires may think they are reckless, but if you handle them correctly, they make nice pets." He said, chuckling at his joke._

_As James stared at Laurent, in a not so friendly matter, Laurent cleared his throat and became serious again. _

"_They will listen." _

"_Good, then our plan will be set into action." James said, walking back to his original spot- standing across from Laurent._

"_But sir, if I may ask; why can't we just kill the dogs and take her?" Laurent said._

_I gulped and my heart beat hard against my chest. The throbbing of my broken ribs burned._

"_Because it will only make her stronger and realize her true power. And I cant have that. She is already stronger than I thought."_

_Laurent sighed but James let out an evil chuckle. "But that doesn't mean we can't rough them up a little bit." He laughed._

_As they laughed together, I thought I was going to be sick. James soon calmed down and looked back at Laurent._

"_I wasn't kidding when we chatted with her in the woods. I would like to see her take out her own friends. Put them out of their own misery." He grinned evily._

_Laurent's eyebrow cocked up and James began walking away._

"_We will work it into the plan somehow." He muttered; _and that was the end of it.

I let out a gasp and then landed on the grass with a thud. The vampire's body lay silently on the ground.

"Bella?" I heard Sam shout from the forest. My eyes quickly went to his voice and I found him running out of the dark forest with Embry, Brady, and Paul in tow.

I looked over to Leah and found Jake running to her. I let down the force-field around her and let out a sigh.

Jared and Quil came running over to me and the vamp.

"Are you ok Bella?" They asked as they began dragging the body away to burn.

I nodded, not trusting my voice and kept a hand over my aching ribs.

I watched as Collin lit a match over by the edge of the forest to burn the pieces of the body.

When I looked back at Sam, Embry, Brady and Paul; they were all rushing out of the edge of the forest. My eyes gazed the front of the forest and found Laurent sitting on a branch, waiting to jump and attack one of them.

"Look out!" I yelled, pointing above to the tree. Laurent's head quickly popped up and he took off into the woods.

Paul was the first to look up and he growled.

He phased without a second thought and took off to catch the dread locked man.

I heard Sam command Embry to go with him; which he quickly did- taking off into the forest phasing.

Sam ran up to me with Brady swiftly behind him.

"Bella? Are you ok?" he asked, checking my body for injuries. His thumbs ran over my face and down my arms. There were bruises all over, but that's not what hurt.

I let out a yelp of pain when his hands grazed over my ribs.

"Nothing I can't fix later. But you need to help Seth. He's hurt badly." I winced, not being able to get myself off the ground.

Sam looked panicked and torn.

"Go to Seth." I told him, nodding to the wolf body.

Sam looked at me with soft eyes and nodded.

I watched as he ran over to the injured wolf and tried to help him.

"Come on, I will help you up." Brady said, taking my arm and wrapping it around his shoulder.

After wincing a few times, Brady and I finally got up and walked over to Seth.

"How is he doing?" I asked concerned.

Before Sam could answer, Leah and Jake appeared.

"Oh my god." Leah cried.

Jake was holding her by the waist, practically carrying her weight, from what I could tell.

"It's not good. He won't phase back. I don't know why. He just won't listen." Sam said sadly.

Tears filled my eyes and Leah bent down to her brother's body.

"Seth." She cried.

"You need to phase. Please. You need to phase back so you can heal." She sobbed.

Seth's eyes slowly rolled towards where Leah lay and he let out a high pitched moan.

Leah sucked in a breath and let out another sob. I put a hand on Jakes arm and silently told him to pull Leah away.

He nodded to me with teary eyes and started to pull Leah away.

"No. Stop it Jake. We need him to phase back. He will listen to me. Jake no!" she yelled as he pulled her away more forcefully. She began thrashing and tears ran down her cheeks.

My heart broke as she was crying and shaking with sadness against Jake's chest.

"Leah? Leah?" I shouted to her, limping away from Brady a tad.

"I need you to take in a breath for me ok? I'm going to try and fix Seth." I said calmly, holding back a wince as I edged closer to her.

She sucked in a breath and tried to calm herself down.

"Oh please Bella please. I can't loose him. Please you have to fix him. Please Bella." She cried.

I swallowed hard and felt the pressure of Seth's life in my hands.

So this is what it feels like? This is what James wants me to endure.

I gave Leah a small nod and painfully walked back to Seth's body.

"Sam, you need to move." I told him. He was standing right near Seth's head and body.

"Bella…" he looked at me doubtfully.

I closed my eyes for a second trying to pull myself together.

"It's ok. I will be fine. I can handle it." I lied with tears in my eyes.

He sucked in a breath and was about to protest but I bit my lip and looked at Leah.

Sam followed my gaze and his eyes melted into heartbreak.

He looked from me to her and didn't know what to do.

I put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at me.

I gave him a small smile and tried putting on a brave face.

Sam slowly moved away but never took his gaze off of me.

My teeth bit my lip hard as I kneeled down to Seth. The pain was throbbing, almost unbearable to breath.

"Seth?" I whispered rubbing his fur on his face.

His eyes slowly opened and looked at me.

"I'm going to help you. But you need to bear with me ok? It's going to hurt, but you need to hang on. Got it?"

He let out a whine and then licked my wrist.

I let out a small laugh and nodded. "Alright. Here we go."

I put my hands over his chest area and began conjuring up my power to heal.

His high pitched whines and cries filled my ears, but I had to keep going.

Within a few minutes his abdomen and lower body was healed.

I stopped with a painful grunt and tried to breathe.

My eyes shut with pain as sharp pains cut through me.

"Ok, enough." He said in a deep voice. Paul and Embry came up behind us and whispered to Sam that they lost him.

He sighed but patted them on the back.

"Thanks guys." He grumbled and turned back to Seth and me. I waited for a second to see if the healing was helping Seth and thankfully it was.

"Seth, can you phase back?" Sam asked.

The wolf slowly nodded and then a human and naked Seth appeared in front of us.

We all smiled and cheered until I became light headed.

Blood began to drip down and Sam quickly knelt down to me.

"Bella?" he asked.

"I'm ok. Just give me a second." I told him, keeping my eyes shut. I waited for everything to stop spinning and then I looked back at Sam again.

"Guys, go get some food for Bella." Sam commanded.

Paul and Embry nodded and ran into the house.

"You didn't have to do that." I groaned as he helped me up.

"Yes I did. Now, are you ok?" he asked.

I was about to nod and say 'yes' but he growled. "And don't even think about saying 'yes' or nodding or telling me your fine."

I rolled my eyes as I put my weight against him. "I thought it was my week to boss you around?"

Everyone laughed a little, including Seth.

The guys ran out with some food, which Sam made me eat and show him where it hurt.

"I think you broke some ribs. Maybe we should call the Cullen's." Sam said paranoid.

I raised my eyebrow at him and smiled. _Did he just refer_ _to them as Cullen's and ask them for help? _

Just as I was about to ask him, Seth interrupted us.

"Guys, not that I don't like being in your company or anything, but I'm kind of naked and want to lay down on something that won't tickle me." He told us, referring to the grass.

We all let out a laugh knowing our Seth was back. Quil, Embry, Paul, and Jared helped Seth while Jake walked Leah back into the house. Sam slowly helped me walk to the house and upstairs and into his room.

He set me on the bed and kneeled down at my legs.

"You ok?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes

I gave him a small smile and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yea, I will heal myself in a minute. Then I will be as good as new." He nodded and then heard commotion downstairs.

I pulled him up by the arm and pulled him in for a kiss.

The commotion got louder and I knew my time was up with him.

"Go see what that's all about." I said referring to downstairs.

He was about to protest but I began to stand up.

"Go. I am going to steal some of your clothes anyways for after I heal."

He let out a deep chuckle and then kissed my head.

"Love you." He murmured, turning back before shutting the door.

I flashed him one of my brightest smiles and answered. "Love you too."

When he finally disappeared, I walked over to his full length mirror and pulled up my shirt. I found some of my ribs sticking out at weird angles and deep purple and red bruises all over.

Without letting my thoughts wander to how painful this was going to be, I put my hand over the broken bones and began to heal them.

I bit my lip in order not to scream out in pain.

The feeling of my bones coming back into place was excruciating.

When I was finished healing the major parts, I took a look at the rest of my body.

There were a few scrapes, scratches and bruises, but nothing too major.

I looked at myself one more time, before going to change, and found a bruise of a handprint starting to appear.

I healed it quickly, not feeling pain whatsoever.

When I was done, I walked away from the mirror and went through Sam's drawers of clothes.

I settled for my usual favorite outfit from his wardrobe; a white cotton tee and a pair of his boxers. His shirt was huge on me. It went right to the end part of the boxers, barely even seeing them.

_**~A/N: Add a lemon for next chap? Yes or no. The rating of the story will have to go up though, so let me know your thoughts!**_


	15. The Lemon

***Lemon Alert* (A/N: my first lemon, plez be kind!)**

Sam was just coming in from the front door as I walked down the stairs.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, finding the house silent again.

"They took Seth and Leah back home; Jake thought it would be best since Sue was home."

I nodded and met Sam at the last step. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're ok." He whispered, rubbing up and down my back.

I took my head off his shoulder and looked at him.

"I'm ok because of you."

He gave me a sweet smile and kissed me.

"And why is that?" he asked lightly.

I kissed him again and he picked me up and walked us over to the couch.

Sam sat down on the puffy leather couch with my legs on either side of him on his lap.

"Because when I was facing the vampire, I was getting so tired and just wanted to rest. But then I thought of the pack and you…and how much you mean to me and care for me. So I continued to put up a fight; and guess what?" I told him coyly.

"What?" he asked, smiling and love showing in his eyes.

I leaned into him; my chest pressing against his and my lips coming centimeters from his ear.

"I won." I breathed.

He let out a groan and pulled me to come face to face with him. He rubbed his hand over the side of my face, staring into my eyes.

"Thank you for not giving up."

"Thank you for being the best boyfriend and always making me happy." I told him back.

We both smiled at each other and met for a kiss.

It was one of those sweet and passionate types. The one where it doesn't get all hot and horny.

"Sam." I panted, pulling away.

He looked at me curious. "Do you remember when you were cleaning Billy's house? What did you want?" I asked teasingly.

He looked kind of shocked but lust filled his eyes none the less. "I wanted you."

He said and kissed me, with a little more force.

"You still want me?" I asked, pulling away.

He cocked an eyebrow and looked at me serious. "Do you really have to ask that? But are you-?"

I cut him off with a kiss. I pulled away softly, and answered what he asked me.

"I" _kiss._ "want" _kiss._ "this." _Kiss._

He looked into my eyes with a deep stare and then kissed me with all he had.

***Lemon starts here* (for anybody who wants to skip this, just look for the bolded words again to know where to pick back up)**

His tongue searched for entrance, which I gladly gave him. We battled tongues for the longest time as we ran our hands over each other's clothed bodies.

I felt his hands go under my shirt and roam up my sides.

Breaking the kiss, I let out a loud gasp as his thumbs grazed the nipples of my breasts. They puckered hard and tight against as he continued to rub.

He smiled at my reaction and did it over and over. The effect was the same except I arched my back to him, gasping for more.

"Sam." I moaned out.

His mouth began sucking on my neck, occasionally nipping at my skin.

I slipped my hands underneath his shirt and moaned at his rock hard abs. They contracted at my touch.

His hands left a burning sensation against my skin as he took off my shirt.

"Fuck." He growled. I looked at him and found him gazing at my bare chest.

I felt my cheeks flame with warmth and he looked at me.

"You are gorgeous." He encouraged me. Before I could say anything, he had his mouth on mine and kissed me with raw passion.

"Unbelievably gorgeous." He murmured as his hands traveled down my sides.

My body tingled as his thumbs grazed my hip bones.

I leaned in and began nipping on his ear and traveling down to his neck.

"Baby." He groaned and squeezed my sides.

I soon got his shirt off and kissed his shoulders.

"Bella." He groaned out.

My hands roamed down his chest and abs again, then gasping a little after feeling a large bulge digging into my thigh.

"Sam." I groaned, kissing his neck.

"I need you." I whispered.

He pulled me away, breaking contact with each other.

"You sure?" he asked, looking for any doubt in my eyes.

I nodded my head and rubbed his shoulders with my hands.

I didn't have to say anything else as his mouth was planted firmly on my lips, then my neck, and down to my breasts.

"Sam." I groaned, biting my lip slightly as I felt if I wanted to explode.

"Let it out Bella." He commanded as he continued to suck.

"Shit." I cussed as his tongue licked across my nipples.

"I need you." I whined again, thrusting my pelvis against his as he continued his actions.

His hands immediately squeezed my hips and stopped my movements, groaning in the process.

We soon began moving up from the couch, never loosing contact with each other. As we stumbled to the stairs, I could feel how hard he was for me.

It didn't help much when he pushed me up against the wall and thrusted up on me.

"Damn it Sam." I panted and gasped when he did it again with a cocky smile.

A few more moments after that, we were finally upstairs and in his room. He plopped me on the bed and watched as my half naked body bounced.

Before I could even blush, Sam was on top of me, kissing me again. My hands traveled down to the button and zipper of his pants.

"off." I commanded in the middle of the kiss.

He brought a hand down and helped me undo them. His dick immediately popped out, showing me how hard and stiff he was.

I groaned at the sight and tilted my head back.

"This is what you do to me." He whispered in my ear, taking my hand down with his and rubbing his hard length.

Soon, he began rubbing himself across my clothed wetness and I wanted to burst.

"Sam." I whined, feeling like I couldn't hold on much longer.

His mouth traveled down and away from my breast, now kissing my stomach and the line where his boxers started.

Swiftly, he pulled them down and was met with a black lacy thong.

"Damn it woman." He cursed, looking at how wet I was.

"This is how much I need you." I told him, taking a few of his fingers and inserting then in my clit.

He growled out and curled his fingers inside of me. I arched my back at the feeling, enjoying how he moved them in and out.

"Sam!" I cried, feeling like I was almost there. He pushed his fingers in harder and deeper, watching as I was about to come.

"Im going to have you coming all night long Bella." He growled and watched as I climaxed on his fingers.

I came down from my high, panting like crazy. Slowly, he slid them out and licked off my juices.

"Sam." I panted to him. He brought his body up against mine, sliding his hardness against me.

I felt myself getting wetter, practically dripping all over the sheets.

"Tell me what you want." He whispered, inhaling while caressing my neck with his presence.

"You." I breathed and arched myself to him as he slid himself between the lips of my pussy.

"Tell me Bella," he whispered, watching me.

"How do you want it?" he asked, kissing my neck again.

"Hard." I gasped out as he nipped on my skin.

Without warning, he pushed into me. I let out a cry of pleasure and squeezed his back.

He was huge and fucking thick. I felt my body slowly forming over his large dick, moaning as he moved slightly.

"So good." I panted.

"How fast do you want it Bella?" he asked.

"So fast." I whispered in pleasure, as he began moving in and out of me.

"Faster." I commanded as he began setting a pace.

"Bella." He groaned out.

"Harder Sam." I told him, wrapping my legs around his waist to get a better angle.

He shifted slightly; pulling almost all the way out of me, and then slamming back in.

I let out cries of pleasure and egged him on even more.

"So big." I panted as he rocked against me.

"Come on, Bella." He told me. "Come for me."

I bit my lip to stop from screaming out, but he kissed my lips.

"Let it out. I want to hear you scream." He told me.

A few more thrusts and I was at my peak.

"Sam!" I yelled and then came on his thick hard dick.

He groaned out in pleasure and pumped a few more times inside of me, before squirting his hot jet seed into me.

"Damn it baby." He told me as he pulled me close.

"So damn good." He exclaimed, kissing the top of my head.

Sam laid inside of me, his dick now soft and flimsy.

"Round two?" I asked after a few minutes.

He looked down, smirking as I felt him stiffen inside of me. I groaned at the feeling as he kissed me hard on the lips.

This time, instead of coming on the bed, he pulled us up and shoved me against a wall.

"What are we doing?" I panted as he kissed my neck and rubbed my breasts.

My eyes fluttered shut as I felt him all over me.

"I believe we are having sex." He said teasingly and then pulled one of my legs up to tease my opening.

"Really?" I laughed. "I meant what are we doing here?"

"This." He said and then thrusted into me.

I let out a cry of satisfaction and let him continue.

"This is how I wanted to take you in Billy's house." He said to me in a low voice.

Pulling out again, he roughly forced himself back inside of me. I let out another cry, feeling myself tighten around him.

"Tell me how good it feels." He coaxed, thrusting his hard dick in and out of me.

"So good." I said very high pitched.

"mm." I moaned as he pushed himself up into me.

"come on baby." He told me, telling me dirty words.

"Fuck me." I whined, holding on his shoulders as we bounced up and down.

"That's it baby, keep moving." He said, growling as I had him pull out all the way before slamming down on me.

"Come with me Sam." I said, clinging onto him tighter.

My walls clenched and I felt myself almost at its peak.

"harder." I commanded.

His hands shifted from the wall to my hips, taking a hold of them and thrusting them into him so he could go deeper.

"yes!" I shouted and soon climaxed.

"Almost there Bella." He grunted as he continued to pump inside of me.

"Higher Sam." I told him as I felt myself wanting to climax again.

He pushed me harder against the wall and thrusted high into me.

"Yes." I moaned, feeling him stab real deep.

Sam pulled my leg up higher, letting himself get real far into me. Pulling away quickly, he thrusted inside of me without a warning.

I felt his hot seed rush inside of me and I couldn't help but moan.

"Amazing." He panted, letting my feet touch the ground again.

"No stay." I said, reffering to him being inside of me. Shifting again slightly, I let out a moan.

"You keep doing that, we are going for another round." I told him.

He shifted again and I let out a moan. "I never said I wasn't ready." He whispered in my ear as I felt him hard again.

He was about to have us come against the wall again when I had a better idea.

"Wait." I told him.

He stopped, looking at me confused.

I pulled myself out of him and let my feet touch the ground. I took his hand, leading him to the bed.

"I want to try something." I said, having him lay with his back against the headboard.

He laid there, watching me as I hovered my opening over his waist.

I pulled my legs, so either of them were on each side of him.

Slowly, I began lowering myself and teasing his cock.

"bella." He groaned and putting his hands on my hips. I covered my hands with his and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Wait." I said, and continued to give him something like a lap dance.

I dipped myself slowly down onto him, not letting him in even half way.

"Bella." He groaned impaciently.

Without another word, I slammed myself down on his hard cock and moaned out in pleasure.

His hands tightened on me and moved up and down with me as I set a rhythem.

"Harder baby, yea like that." He told me as I lifted myself almost all the way off of him and slammed back down.

"come on Sam, come with me." I panted, tilting my head back and letting him thrust into me.

"Harder." I screamed as he took control.

"Bella." He growled, pulling me up to face him.

We both panted with our faces inches apart. Looking at me one more time, he pulled himself out of me and raised me in the air.

Before I could ask anything, he thrusted himself up while he slammed me down on him.

We both climaxed on each other, moaning and groaning in pleasure.

***End of Lemons!* (hope you liked them!)**

"That was amazing baby" he said as I laid naked on his lap. I gave a nod of approval and felt my eyes drop.

Sam slid down, wrapping us into the covers before going to sleep himself.

_Damn it was a good night…_


	16. It Would Be My Honor

Friday rolled around again, Emily insisted that we were to have a bon fire. She called late Thursday to tell me that I had to come and it was going to be a blast. Of course, I accepted her invitation.

I was just getting out of my last class when my phone buzzed.

_You coming tonight?_ Sam texted me.

_Of course, be over around dinner time? Ems house right?_ I asked.

_Yup. I have to go patrol, Love you baby._

I smiled and quickly replied. _Love you too! Have fun, tell the boys hi for me. _

I shut my phone and was off on my bike back to the apartment.

I put my bag on the counter and grabbed a quick bite to eat. I checked my email and then began my work.

I worked on the cooking class stuff, which didn't take too long and then I worked on everything else.

Everything else…well it took a while. I had to work on becoming a teacher/mentor and work on vocabulary. As weird as it sounded, that what the jobs required.

If I was to teach martial arts, I needed to know more words than just 'kick' and 'punch'. Along with dance. If I was to ever become a dance teacher I needed to learn all the weird words.

As I finished the written work, I found it was already 4 o'clock.

I sighed. I wasn't going to be at Ems around dinner. I had to stop by the dance studio and student teach.

I quickly whipped out my phone and sent Ems (Emily) a text.

_Hey Ems. I'm going to be a little later than I suspected. I will try and come as soon as I can. Love ya!_

I stuffed the phone into my bag and quickly went to change.

I grabbed a towel and a water bottle and put them in a small drawstring gym bag.

After I had everything, I made my way back outside to my bike and went over to the studio.

I said hi to the kids and watched as the teacher taught the kids. They danced their recital piece and I was amazed.

The moves flowed beautifully and they did an amazing job. When her class was done, that's what I told her. She blushed and thanked me and gave me some tips.

I listened to her with every fiber in my being. The way she controlled the class just astounded me.

"Teach the next class." She said. "They are about the same age."

"Oh, no. that's ok." I blushed.

"Oh come on. It will be great practice. You will do fine, and if you need any help I am here. Now go on." She said sweetly, and shoved me over to the kids who began walking in.

My heart was pounding and I took in a deep breath.

I began class and everything went on from there.

The kids were amazing. They listened carefully and didn't mind me at all. When class was over I felt amazed.

"That was great! You are going to be an excellent teacher. I can tell." The teacher gushed. She was sweet. She was petite and had short brown hair. She dressed in a black tank top and dark grey dance pants.

"Thanks." I blushed at her compliment.

"Well, I seriously don't think you need to keep teaching here. As long as you keep dancing and listen to the rhythm and beat of the music you will do great. Plus, I bet you have many better things to do. I will write your report as soon as I am done here, excellent job." She told me.

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying." I told her.

She waved me off and welcomed the new class. "It's ok Bella. I don't mind. It's almost the weekend and you are a natural. Go celebrate." She said.

"Thank you soo much. I truly appreciate it."

"Oh no, the pleasure was all mine. You were a pleasure to teach." She said and then had to get to her class.

I waved goodbye and quickly went off to shower and go to Ems.

When I was done showering, I dried my hair with a towel and changed.

I put on a purple spaghetti strap shirt that had gathered sequences in the middle and a pair of skinny jeans. I slipped on a pair of black flip flops and was off.

I quickly teleported to Emily and Paul's front porch and let myself in.

"Hey guys." I yelled.

"Bella!" Everyone shouted.

I guessed they were all out in the back, so I walked down the hall and met them half way.

"Hey!" I laughed as Seth picked me up and twirled me around.

"I kept a plate for you in the fridge. I can warm it up for you if you want." Emily said kindly.

I nodded and laughed as Paul swung me around next.

"Thanks Emily!" I shouted as she walked into the kitchen.

"No prob Bella." She said back.

After Embry gave me a hug, I told him I would see the rest later and then made my way into the kitchen to eat.

"Here you go bells." She said, handing me a plate full of food.

"Wow. Thanks Ems." I said and hugged her.

Seth made his way into the kitchen and sat across from me.

"Alright, well I am going to join the rest of the guys. Bella, don't worry about the plate. Just put in the sink when you are done and I will get it." Emily said.

I nodded and thanked her profusely.

Seth and I talked a while and he had me laughing. I noticed him eying my food and I pushed my plate to him.

"Here, finish it up." I said wiping my hands.

"That's ok Bella." He said kindly as he looked at the food still on the plate

"Seth, I saw you eying my food, and I'm done. Now eat it so I don't have to throw it away." I scolded.

He didn't have to be told again, because he brought the plate closer and began to eat the rest.

We continually asked each other about everything till he was finished and we made our way to their yard.

I opened the screen door and laughed to myself. Emily outdid herself.

The backyard was full of lights and food. It looked colorful and festive.

"Damn Ems." I said to myself. I saw the pack laugh and heard Seth chuckle from behind me. Seth gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before going over to talk to everyone else while the rest of the gang came over to hug me.

Sam was the last one to hug me of course, and he stayed right by my side.

"So what have I missed?" I asked Sam.

"Not much. We came over, we ate, talked."

I nodded and took his hand to go sit down by Paul, Emily, Leah and Seth.

"Hey guys." I said sitting down in their little circle.

"Hey Bella." They chimed.

We all talked and Seth had us laughing. It was just a while later Jared and Kim had joined us.

Kim, Leah, Emily, and I were all talking while the rest of the guys did the same.

They all listened and laughed as I talked about my day.

I told them about my teaching class and the embarrassing moments with the kids.

"Alright, well I think you should show us your moves." Emily smiled and laughed.

"What?" I said laughing.

"Yea, definitely." Leah said gasping for breath.

"Go on Bella! Show us what you got!" Kim cheered and pushed me up.

I looked over to the small circle guys and they all seemed to be looking at me; Sam in particular.

He was sitting on a blue wooden outside chair with his arms on his knees a drink in hand, looking up at me.

I looked at the rest of the bunch and found everyone else curious too.

"Ugh, I hate you guys." I told the girls, blushing furiously.

They smiled and laughed at me. "You're not getting out of this." Leah pointed out.

"I'm not doing it!" I said turning even redder. At this point, I would have thought Jake would have used his comment about me being redder than a tomato.

"Oh come on Bella!" Emily said.

"No way." I said laughing at my embarrassment. I sat back down in their little circle and put my hands on my cheeks. They felt warm. Too warm for my liking.

"What song did she say?" Emily asked getting up.

"Emily." I whined while my eyes followed her petite figure.

"Love the Way You Lie" Kim said happily**. (A/N: Song belongs to Eminem and Rihanna)**

I narrowed my eyes at her and she gave me a smile.

I sighed and looked back over to the guys. They were still looking at us, Sam looking at me with…amusement in his eyes?

I groaned as the music came on.

"Guys." I whined.

"Go Bella!" Jared said smiling.

I glared at him and he laughed.

Emily took my hands and Leah shoved me up.

"Come on Bells. We wanna see you dance." Emily said kindly.

I sighed as I looked at her and those puppy dog eyes.

"Fine!" I said exasperated.

She smiled and gave me a quick hug.

I stood there, in front of everyone, with my heart pounding in my ears.

I looked at everyone and found them waiting for me. I took in a deep breath and waited.

I reminded myself of what I learned today and waited for the song to back to the chorus. I closed my eyes and took in the beat.

I began moving with the music and listened to Rihanna's voice.

_Just gonna stand there  
and watch me burn  
But that's alright  
because I like  
the way it hurts_

I closed my mind off of all the sounds that I could hear, and I focused on my body, the rhythm and moving with the music._  
Just gonna stand there  
And hear me cry  
But that's alright  
Because I love  
The way you lie  
I love the way you lie  
I love the way you lie_

Suddenly Eminem's voice came on and the beat was hard- harsh almost.

I moved my body so it popped, locked and felt the harshness in his words. And then it slowed down again and I knew the song was coming to and end.

The last few beats came, and then I stood there, my chest heaving and my lungs seeking for oxygen.

There I stood with my eyes closed and my head down.

There I stood, raw and open, waiting for someone to do something.

"Damn." I heard Leah say.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked at her.

My eyes flickered to Emily as she began to talk. "Shit Bella that was amazing."

Everyone laughed as Emily swore. Seeing her swear was odd. She was so proper and sweet, that it was very unusual to hear her cuss.

I felt a body hit mine and I looked to see Seth giving me a huge hug.

"Bella! That was amazing!" He gushed.

I smiled brightly and laughed as he twirled me around.

"Thanks."

Not long after Seth gave me a hug, Sam came up to me and smiled. He bent towards my ear and whispered, "Amazing"

I looked up at him blushing and smiled.

When everything settled down and we all stood around, I smiled.

Sam was off talking with the guys and us girls in the corner.

The song 'Magic' by B.O.B came on and I grabbed Emily.

I started to dance, differently from dance class (freestyle if you would call it), and she laughed.

I started twirling her around and before I knew it, she grabbed Kim and I grabbed Leah and we all started to dance.

We all laughed at our crazy moves and then the song changed.

The song 'The Prefect Mistake' by Cartel came on and we were really having fun then.

We all started to sing along with the fast paced song and then the guys came along.

It was nothing romantic and definitely relaxed. We all stepped out of our comfort zone a little, and didn't just dance with our imprints.

Seth, Emily, and Embry were dancing with me while Kim, Leah, Collin, and Brady danced together.

Only a few of the guys stood around the food table and watched us.

I glanced over and waved to them to join us, but they shook there head.

I was about to shout over to them when Embry grabbed my hand and began twirling me around. I laughed and smiled as we all danced.

It was crazy but so much fun!

Soon, a slower paced song came on and we all started to separate.

Emily, Leah, Kim and I all joined in a circle and began talking.

"Let's get our imprints to come dance." Emily said after a few minutes.

I looked over to the guys and found all of them standing by the food table.

I laughed as I was hit with an ironic thought. They looked like guys who couldn't get a girl to dance with them at a school prom or something.

"Bella?" Leah asked.

"Sorry, umm… yea. Why not? I think I have another dance or two left in me." I shrugged.

"Alright, let's go!" Emily exclaimed, racing over to Paul.

I watched as she pulled his hands and brought him to the dance floor.

Paul's face didn't look to happy, but Emily's was glowing with happiness.

Soon, the rest of the girls did the same with their imprints and I was the only one left.

I smiled at them and walked over to Sam.

"Dance with me." I said taking his hands as he set his drink down.

"Bells…" he said hesitantly.

I rolled my eyes and guided him to the dance floor.

By the time he started dancing with me 'dynamite' by Taio Cruz came on.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and began swaying to the beat. My hips moved from side to side and I moved my body all around. I did my own thing; just listened to the beat and let myself go.

When I looked up at him, I found him smiling in all his glorious beauty.

Sam actually wasn't a bad dancer. He swayed to the beat and held me close by keeping his hands on my hips.

And as the song progressed, I moved different ways to change things up and 'keep him on his toes' as Kim would call it. Sometimes I moved so my back was against Sam's rock hard chest while other times we faced each other, staring into each others eyes.

Either way, our body's moved to the beat and it was electrifying.

We had chemistry. You could see it and you could feel it when we moved together.

But A few times Sam's hands would get a little carried away and travel places. I sent him a playful glare, knowing he was just doing that to get a rise out of me, which he ignored and flashed me a smile.

We twisted and turned, a few more times before Sam let loose a little. He twirled me around a little and then sang along with me. I laughed hysterically, and I knew we had everyone giggling and watching us...

What can I say? It's a pump up song.

A while later, we began switching dance partners and I was laughing along with Seth.

He and I were dancing to the song 'Don't Trust Me' by the 3oh!3.

He was probably one of the best dancers, and had me laughing non stop. We were singing along to the song and I giggled. Seth was pretty funny. He didn't mind being embarrassed or making a fool out of himself, which I loved.

When it came to the Helen Keller part of the song, I was practically balling (crying) on the floor laughing. He did the whole 'Jump on it' (song) movements which made it look hilarious.

Soon, he had me joining in with him, and we laughed at each other.

When the song got back to its regular beat, we began spinning and twirling around, smiling at each other.

I was sad as the song came to an end and Jake came to take Seth's place.

"Thanks for the dance Seth!" I smiled cheerfully and kissed his cheek.

I saw a faint blush on his cheeks and he walked away smiling.

"I think he has a crush on you." Jake spilled as he twirled me around to a slow song.

I laughed a little and locked my hands around his neck, swaying to the music.

"Well, maybe I have one on him too." I countered playfully.

I heard a growl and looked over to find Sam and Leah dancing. I saw Leah roll her eyes and push Sam's head to look at her. She mumbled something and then went back to dancing.

I looked back at Jake and saw him rolling his eyes too.

"All kidding aside, he is a great friend and I have a lot of fun with him." I said as he twirled me.

"Ouch." Jake said referring to that was the spot I held in my heart for him.

I sighed and looked up at him. "You know what I meant Jake."

He sighed. "I know, I sometimes feel that way with Emily." He confessed.

I heard another growl, but more feminine like and looked over to Leah.

I saw Sam say something to her and she rolled her eyes.

"Nice one." I told Jake.

He sighed and looked at me. "Don't worry, just explain it to her… and keep your head down." I said referring to Leah probably throwing things at him.

"Geez thanks Bells." He mumbled.

"I think we need to switch dance partners." Leah said, breaking up the dance between Jake and me.

I looked over at Sam and Leah and let go of Jake.

"He's all yours." I told her as they walked away. Jake flashed me for help but I just smiled helplessly and motioned to keep his head down.

His eyes narrowed at me and I laughed, turning back to Sam.

"Soo…" I asked as I wrapped my arms around Sam, dancing with him once again.

"You and Seth huh?" he asked, half serious and half jokingly.

I rolled my eyes and kissed him.

"Shut up, you're ruining the moment."

"Yo Bella!" Paul called, breaking up my thoughts.

I looked up to him and saw me waving my phone.

I slowly left Sam's grip and nodded for him to toss it, which he did- half way across the yard.

I caught it with ease and looked to see it was Elizabeth.

"Hello?" I asked, covering one ear over the music.

"Bella!" she said happily.

The music turned down and I looked at everyone. They were all staring at me and moving their heads closer to listen to my conversation.

I gave them a playful evil glare and moved away from all of them.

"What's up Z?" I asked, moving towards the cliffs.

"Are you busy? Did I call at a bad time?" she said fast.

"Whoa. No, your fine. What's going on?"

"Well…." She said, prolonging the small word.

I waited for a few seconds before my thoughts were getting to me.

"I just called to ask you…if you would…." I could hear her struggle, so I decided to hold my snarky comments back.

"Just ask her already." I heard Nate grumble.

I moved the phone away from my ear and looked at it weirdly.

"Nate?" I asked.

"On the other line. We are 3 way calling. I'm out of town." He said.

I nodded and waited for Elizabeth to tell me whatever she needed to say.

"Never mind. I want to wait to do this in person." She concluded. I heard Nate give a frustrated sigh.

"Baby, we can't. If we are going to start planning, you need to ask her soon."

"Well why can't we just fly out there! Or teleport me there? Catie does it all the time!"

"Because I'm not at home! And Catie is just…not very responsible." He groaned.

"Bella. Will you please tell him I would be fine if I was to teleport with Catie?"

I was about to speak up and break up their little lovers spat when Elizabeth continued on her rampage.

"You are being so stubborn and over protective!" she yelled.

"I am! I'm just trying to keep you safe. That's what you do when you love someone!"

"No! When you love someone, you consult them. You ask them what you want to do. You give them choices!" she fired back.

I sighed, letting this go on a little longer before breaking it up.

"Guys…guys!" I yelled.

"What?" they both snapped.

"Look, if you want, I can just teleport up there, and you can tell me whatever you like. But Z, if it's that important, then you might as well tell me over the phone. Either one doesn't matter. I will still react the same."

I heard her sigh and give up.

"Fine, well…I just wanted to ask you…When I get married…will you be my maid of honor?" she said softly.

I sucked in a breath. _Me? Is she really asking me?_ I asked myself.

"Bella?" she said scared.

After a few more seconds of no response, Nate spoke.

"Bella! Answer my fiancée." He commanded.

"Yes. Yes!" I said snapping out of my thoughts.

"Of course I will, I'm honored…and shocked…and happy…and surprised…and yes. Of course I will." I repeated.

"Great. Gosh Bella, you really know how to give a girl a heart attack." She breathed.

"Sorry, I just…wow. Are you sure you want to pick me?" I tried to ask in a kidding voice, but meaning it none the less.

"Yes, are you crazy! We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you."

We talked a little more, and then I hung up with them with a stunned yet happy feeling.


	17. Dancing Down the Aisle

I walked back to the Pack, and they were all waiting for me. Including Catie?

"Catie?" I asked shocked.

"Bella! Did she tell you? Did she say yes?" she yelled running up to me.

"Yea, of course I did. What are you doing here?" I asked hugging her happily.

"Well, I wanted to see you…and Embry." She said blushing.

I laughed along with the pack.

"What happened?" Emily asked.

"Yea, Catie wouldn't tell us anything." Collin grunted.

"Elizabeth is getting married. She asked me to be a bridesmaid and Bella to be the maid of honor!" she chimed.

I rolled my eyes. She was making a huge deal out of this.

Everyone cheered and was happy. I talked for Catie a little while longer before letting her be and sitting by the fire Paul was slowly starting.

I stared into the burning orange, yellow, red and blue flames. They were mesmerizing.

I felt a hand wrap around my waist and looked up to see Sam.

We gave each other a small smile and went over to lie against the big log.

"So you're the maid of honor?" Sam asked.

I flashed him a smile. "Yea, I guess I am."

He kissed my cheek and rubbed up and down my arms.

"I love you." He murmured in my ear.

I looked up at him and turned my body to him.

"I love you too."

And ever since then…everything has just flowed. The weeks went by faster than a blink of an eye and today, I was stopping by Sam's place to pick up the guys for the rehearsal dinner.

"Hello?" I called as I bounced down the stairs. My gold high heels were swinging in my hands back and forth.

"Hey." Sam said, walking to meet me at the bottom of the stairs. He had his hands in his dark washed jeans (looking as sexy as ever I might add!) I smiled and kissed his yummy lips.

"Long time no see." I said happily.

"Yes, it has been indeed." He muttered and kissed me again.

I laughed as he spun me off the stairs and pecked kisses on my neck. When we parted, I flashed him a smile and threw my heels by the door while guiding him into the kitchen.

I took out some vegetables, fruit, and stuff to make a sandwich.

Bringing it all to the counter, I began whipping up some food for the guys before we left.

"You look amazing." He whispered to me. He had his hands wrapped around my waist, and his chest pressing against my back.

"Why thank you." I chirped happily. I was wearing a blue jean dress that was spaghetti strapped. It hugged my chest and then flowed out at the waist, so when I twirled it spun around me looking perfect.

I had a thick brown braided belt wrapped around the middle of the dress, right before it flowed out; that way it didn't look so dressy.

Sam kissed my cheek, neck and shoulders as I made food for everyone. A few times I had to pull back because he kept tickling me.

"Sam." I giggled. I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

"Stop, I have to finish making these." I laughed.

He sighed, but kept the tickling to a minimum.

I was done just in time.

Everyone was booming through the doors loud and chattering.

"Bella!" Embry said coming over to give me a hug.

"Hey." I smiled.

After I gave the rest of my 'hi's' to the guys, I had them dig in.

"As much as we love this, why are you feeding us now? Aren't we going out to eat too?" Quil asked with his mouth full of food.

"Wow, Quil complaining of food? Somebody call 9-1-1!" Leah laughed.

I chuckled, along with the rest of the guys.

"Whatever Leah." He grumbled.

"I just thought it would be a little less obvious for Elizabeth's family when they go out with us-you know…your meal intake? Not everybody eats like 5 meals for dinner, so try and keep it to one entrée per person." I laughed.

Everyone rolled their eyes but agreed.

After sitting and talking for a while, I looked at the clock and found it was time to go.

"Ready guys?" I asked.

Everyone began to put away their plates and get ready.

"Yea. Let's go!" Emily said excited.

I let out a laugh as I made my way over to the shoes. That girl had so much energy; I don't know where she gets it from.

"Alright…" I grunted as I tried slipping on my high heels. I leaned against the doorway of the kitchen and finally got them on. I grew at least 2 inches.

"Let's go!" I said happily.

I walked back into the kitchen and had everyone hold hands. When we were all connected, I closed my eyes and teleported them to the church.

Elizabeth told me ahead of time where I could teleport so her family wouldn't notice. We ended up in Nate's dressing room.

"Hey!" he smiled.

I walked over and gave him a hug. "You were lucky I wasn't changing." He commented.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "It's rehearsal. You don't need to change."

"Good point." He laughed, and moved on to say hello to everyone else.

I didn't wait for the guys to move along.

Opening up the tall wooden doors, I made my way down the hall to find Elizabeth off to the side.

"Ugh!" she groaned.

"What's going on?" I asked between her and some dude.

"They can't find my music! And we need to rehearse." She cried.

She shocked me with her full blown crying, so I was immediately on my heels (no pun intended. Haha.)

"Can you find it by tomorrow?" I asked who I expected to be the music coordinator.

He nodded his head immediately. "Of course. I will get right on it. I am so sorry this happened." He apologized.

"It's fine." I said nonchalantly. "We can deal."

He nodded and scurried off.

"What do we do?" she cried.

"Hey, hey." I cooed.

"If you keep crying, you are going to get your make up all ruined. We can deal with this. I will think of something; promise." I said.

She nodded and took a few deep breaths. "You're right; it's just music. As long as he has it tomorrow we can get through this."

"Alright. I will be right back." I said to her. She nodded and went off in a different direction.

"Hey!" Catie said, stepping in front of where I was walking.

"Hey!" I said, stepping back a little so I wouldn't run into her.

"What's up? You excited?" She asked, bouncing up and down.

I laughed at her skittishness. "Yea, I am. Hey…did you drive here?" I asked.

This church wasn't too close to their house, so there would be no need to teleport here.

"Yea, why?" she asked.

"Perfect." I smiled. "Can I borrow one of your mixed CD's?"

She looked at me strangely but nodded. "Sure…but as of right now, I have the latest pop hits."

I shrugged my shoulders and followed her out to the car. "Good enough."

"What's going on?" She asked puzzled.

I explained the whole situation to her and she gladly handed over the CD.

"Glad I could be of service." She laughed as we made our way back into the church.

"Got it." I exclaimed to her.

"Thank you!" Z cried.

I handed the CD over to the music director who put it in.

"It's actually Catie's. It was the closest thing I could find." I laughed as 'Break my Bank' came on.

Catie and I began dancing, and Z rolled her eyes.

"Alright, let's get this thing going." She said, pushing us to the back of the church.

The guys took their seats to watch, while Nate took his spot in the front.

We all began lining up, Z in the very back, then me, and then Catie.

"I'm so dancing down this aisle." She claimed, leaning back to whisper to me. I let out a laugh and nodded in agreement. We took our fake flower arrangements and waited.

The song switched to 'I Like It' by Enrique Iglesias and Catie began walking.

Halfway down she began dancing and everyone started laughing. Nate of course was smiling and shaking his head. I could hear Z let out a groan, but I couldn't say anything because it was my turn.

Catie made it all the way to her spot and I shook my head.

'Why wait half way down?' I mouthed and began dancing.

All the guys were laughing and smiling as I danced crazily. I swear I heard Nate let out a laugh.

Sam was smiling at me with his gorgeous brown eyes that danced with happiness.

I reached the end of the aisle and turned to stand by Catie.

Taking a quick glance at Z, I mouthed 'sorry' to her.

She shrugged and gave a small smile. 'No biggy.' She mouthed back.

I flashed her a smile and waited for her to walk down.

She was holding a pretty fake bouquet of colorful flowers and had on a super cute dress. It was white and strapless. The fabric crossed each other, like it was twisted and flowed out at the bottom. The dress was just above her knees and fit her perfectly. She wore these colorful heels that had ribbon fabric that wrapped around her ankles.

The song switched to 'Solo' by Iyaz.

We all watched and waited for her to start walking. She let out a huff and an eye roll before dancing her way down the aisle.

This time, we were all laughing and clapping her on.

"Nice." I commented to her as I took her bouquet of flowers.

"Well…someone had to show you all how it was done." She laughed.

Catie and I chuckled and let them continue with rehearsal.

A few times, I snuck a glance at Sam, who seemed to always be looking at me. He flashed me a smile and seemed to melt my heart every time.

_Stupid Man_. I grumbled in my head. He always made me feel so school girlish.

When the rehearsal was over, we all got to leave and head to the restaurant.

"Hallelujah. I thought that was going to take hours." Catie complained.

I let out a laugh and snuggled into Sam, who was walking hand in hand with me to Catie's car.

We all made it to the restaurant and everything went smoothly. I met Z's parents and we all just talked.

They had a dance floor, towards the back of the restaurant, which we all eventually made our way to.

Seth and I danced for a while, till Sam took over when the song 'Just the Way You Are' by Bruno Mars came on.

Sam spun me and swayed me to the music. He was a good dancer, I will say that; he also had this thing about him; it was like he really made me feel the music.

When the song came to an end, we all decided it was getting late and time to leave for the big day tomorrow.

We all said our goodbyes and then let Elizabeth and Nate have their moment before they had to leave each other for the night.

"Do you think we will be like that?" I asked Sam as I watched Nate and Z.

"Aren't you both already like that?" Paul asked jokingly.

"Shut up." I teased, shoving him away from Sam and me.

"Paul's right." Sam said.

"Thank you!" Paul laughed. Sam rolled his eyes and hit him over the back of his head with his other hand.

"Owww." He complained and then walked away rubbing his head.

"I mean, we already can't live without each other. We have definitely shown each other that. But, who knows, when the day comes…I'm sure we will find out." He smiled to me.

I gave him a lopsided grin and snuggled into his side.

"Ready to go home?" he asked me, laughing as I tried to get comfy.

"Mmhmm." I mumbled.

"You sleeping over tonight?"

"Miduno." I said sleepily.

"What was that?" he asked laughing.

"I don't know. Am i?" I asked him, rubbing my face.

"Yes, you are." He answered happily.

"Alrighty then." I said, and walked over to find the other guys.

When we rounded them all up, I teleported them back to the house.

"Time for bed." I muttered sleepily.

Sam just gave me a smile and nodded. "Alright guys. Get out of my house." He commanded.

Emily and Leah laughed at Sam's words while the rest of the guys complained and rolled their eyes.  
"Night!" I shouted to them from the top of the stairs.

"Night." Everyone seemed to respond.

After I was changed and pretty much ready for bed, I heard Sam come up the stairs.

"And all is silent." He groaned happily.

I nodded and plopped myself in the middle of the comfy bed with Sam's arms wrapped around my waist.


	18. A Big Step

It's been another week. Nate and Z's wedding was amazing and perfect. Everything went smooth and they were like the biggest love birds ever known to man.

"Oh enough already!" Catie said turning to them in disgust. I laughed as I watched Nate and Z. They wanted to spend some time with us after the wedding and small honey moon. Well apparently their 'honeymoon' wasn't over since they were all cuddly and smoochy as we walked around the mall.

"Oh let them be. Come on, I want some new clothes." I told Catie and walked into a store.

After a few hours of shopping, we let the love birds go….do things (hint hint) and Catie went back to Sam's with me.

"Hey, you here?" I called out for Sam. The house was silent, so I'm guessing he wasn't.

"Alright, well since we have a house to ourselves, what did you want to do?" I asked Catie.

"I have no idea. Where should I set these?" she asked referring to her bags.

"Well I'm going to put mine upstairs but you can just put yours by the door." I told her as I walked up the stairs.

After a long debate, we ended up going to the movies and dinner, just enjoying the night of girls only.

I left Sam a note on the counter saying I would be back later, so hopefully I would be able to see him before I had to leave to go back to campus.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today Bella." Catie said as we walked up to Sam's house.

"Anytime Catie. It was fun. But next time, we are doing bikes." I joked with her.

She smiled big and nodded. "Sounds perfect."

I opened up Sam's door and grabbed her stuff. "Tell Sam I said hey, and I will see you guys later!"

Before I could respond, she was gone and I was looking at thin air. I let out a chuckle and shut the door.

"Hey! I'm home!" I yelled into the illuminated house. Not a word was spoken back and I looked all around. It was then I saw a bunch of rose petals scattered all over the ground leading to the backyard.

"Sam?" I called out as I followed the beautiful flowers.

I walked out to the backyard and found candles lit everywhere with rose petals scattered around the grass.

"What on earth?" I whispered to myself.

"What do you think?" Sam asked from behind me.

I gasped in surprised and turned around in his arms.

"What is going on?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." He said with a smile. He led me down to the middle of the backyard, watching as I took it all in.

After it all settled in my brain I turned in his arms and looked up at him.

"What did I do to bring out Mr. Romantic?" I asked with a laugh.

He looked down at me with a smile and gave me a kiss. "I can be romantic." He said as his lips pressed against mine.

"Mmhmm." I murmured sarcastically as I continued to kiss him.

When we broke I kept my hands on the back of his neck and just stared at him. "Thank you, for this. And for whatever reason you are doing this." I muttered.

"Maybe it's just because I love you." He stated as I laid my head on his chest.

"Or maybe it's just because you have something sneaky up your sleeves." I retorted.

He gave my sides a squeeze and I let out a giggle.

"Alright Mr. Romantic, what did you have planned for us?"

"I thought we could just look at the stars for a while. It's a beautiful night, and I'm with a gorgeous girl." He said sweetly.

I rolled my eyes and felt my insides melt.

"Cheesy." I laughed and dragged him to the middle of the yard.

We laid there for a while just looking at the stars. It was only a little while later, Sam rolled on his side and watched me.

"What?" I asked, still staring at the stars.

"Just looking at you." He stated.

"I noticed." I laughed and turned to him. "What's up?"

"Nothing…I just-…" he sighed.

I waited for him to continue, feeling slightly nervous.

"I want you to move in with me." He stated watching me.

I looked at him, thinking he was joking. When I realized he wasn't, I looked at him wide eyed.

"Are you serious?" I asked leaning up on my arms.

"Yea, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, getting up now too.

"I-…." I said shocked.

"Bella, you spend most of your time here anyways. You practically live here, now I just want to make it official."

My heart sped up and I felt slightly nervous. Was I ready for such a big step?

"Sam as amazing as that sounds, what about my stuff? And Charlie? And-…"

"We will take care of it." He said with ease.

"Sam, I don't know. I mean-…"

"Bella, just say yes."

I looked at him and felt so bad for saying this.

"I-I can't Sam. I just…I don't know if I'm ready for this yet."

His eyes began to water and I thought his heart broke.

"I- I should go." I said getting up and distancing myself away from him. _I think I just broke his heart._

"I will see you later Sam." I muttered and then walked into his house and left without another word.

A few weeks passed and I haven't talked to Sam in a while. I thought it was weird. I know its stupid saying no to such a perfect guy, but truthfully, I was scared.

I was scared to take such a big step. At times, I knew what I wanted. I knew that happiness was with Sam. I still do, but that doesn't make me any less scared.

What if things change when I move in? What if he regrets asking me? What if….gosh anything is possible and it scares the heck out of me.

My phone rang in the middle of class and it was a number I didn't know.

I decided not to pick up.

It was then when I got a text from Sam that everything came crashing down.

Bella, you need to come home. It's Charlie. He's in the hospital.

My heart accelerated and I immediately grabbed my things. I rushed out of class like a crazy person and teleported to Forks hospital as soon as I got to my apartment.

"I'm here for Charlie Swan." I said with a loss of breath to the front desk woman.

"And you are?"

"His daughter." I snapped.

"Room 405." She said in a careless tone.

I nodded and rushed to the stairs, figuring the elevator to be too long of a wait.

I rushed up four flights of stairs, my mind racing with crazy thoughts of what could have happened.

As I made it up to the fourth floor, I began running down hallways in search for my dad's room. I knew I had arrived when a bunch of 6 foot guys were all pacing the hallways.

"What happened?" I asked out of breath and in a nervous state.

"I don't know. They won't tell us anything because we aren't family." Jake said.

I nodded, trying not to think about the worst.

"Sam and Jared are inside with Charlie now." Jake said again.

I nodded to him and slowly walked inside. Sam and Jared were at the side and the foot of the bed talking with Charlie.

"Dad." I breathed in relief.

"Bella." He said in the same tone.

Quickly I rushed to him and hugged him for dear life. I buried my head in his shoulder and took in a deep breath. Tears started falling and I couldn't seem to control myself.

"What's going on? What happened?" I asked him while pulling away and wiping my tears.

He looked sad and worn out. Before he could answer me he looked at the two boys in the room.

"We will leave you two alone. Bella, we will be outside if you need us." Sam instructed.

I nodded and tried giving him a small smile. "Thanks Sam."

Sam nodded back at me and Jared gave us both a small smile, which we both gave back. After the two men left, I looked to Charlie and waited for an answer.

"Bella, you should sit." He told me.

My heart sped up a little and the pit in my stomach grew.

I grabbed a chair from behind me and waited for him to start.

"I've been sick for a while Bells." He said softly.

I went to speak but he cut me off.

"It was before you came here. It was a while before you came to live with me actually."

He swallowed hard.

"I have cancer."

I looked at him and couldn't process the information.

"No." I whispered as the tears resurfaced. "You were fine. You are fine. You can't just-….you don't have…"

"I'm dying Bella."

I swallowed a huge lump in my throat and thought I was going to be sick.

"Alright Mr. Swan. Time for some rest." A nurse said coming in.

I didn't bother looking at the perky sounding nurse. All I could do was stare at Charlie and try and believe what he was saying wasn't true.

"Excuse me miss, but you are going to have to leave." She said politely.

"I'm his daughter." I spoke in a rough voice.

"Oh, ok. Well Mr. Swan, I was told by Dr. Whitfield to increase your morphine since you are still having some pain. This will make you feel extremely drowsy. So don't fight the sleep. It's good for your body." She instructed as she pressed some buttons on a machine and watched the IV.

Again, I swallowed hard and watched the nurse.

She walked out silently with a smile on her face for us to see.

"Bella." Charlie spoke as he tried to fight his sleep.

"I will be here when you wake up." I said with teary eyes.

"No, I just loaded some huge news on you. You need to go and deal with this. I'm ok here. Your old man will be fine."

"Dad..." I said.

"Bella." He said opening his droopy eyes.

I sighed and nodded. "Alright."

I watched as he started to fall back into a deep slumber. "I love you Bella, don't ever forget that."

Tears fell from my eyes as I watched Charlie sleep. Our hands were entwined, his limp in mine. Knowing I had to leave and get cleaned up, I squeezed his hand one last time and stood up, leaving him all alone.

I walked out of the room with all the guys' eyes staring at me. I kept my head down, staring at the ground; I felt so little and lost. I just…I didn't know how to feel.

"I-I….I need to go get cleaned up and grab some things back at my apartment. So umm…could one of you just stay and…"

"Of course. Don't worry about it." Quil said without hesitation.

"Thanks." I said and wiped a falling tear.

I started walking back from where I came, when another body caught up to mine.

"I'm coming with you." Sam said softly.

I nodded to him and continued to walk. About five minutes later we were out of the hospital and about to teleport back to my apartment.

I grabbed Sam's hand and held it in mine. It felt so heavy and warm. It was nothing like how my dad's felt- limp and cold.

This is probably the first time I had held his hand since the big fight between us. I missed it. My body craved his touch.

"Bella?" Sam questioned concerned.

I looked at him and without another thought, we were inside my place.

"Sorry." I muttered and let go of his hand, walking past him.

I headed to my room, grabbing a duffle bag. I stuffed a bunch of clothes in there, not really caring what I was bringing.

"Bella?" His voice questioned again as he watched me stuff clothes in the bag.

I stood with my back to him, looking down at the full duffle bag on my bed.

"I-I need to take a shower. So umm…just give me a few minutes."

"Yea, ok." Sam said his voice laced with concern.

I walked away, my head still trained on the floor. I shut the door behind me, sliding back against it and letting the tears fall.

I didn't want to lose Charlie. I didn't want to feel the emptiness or the dark cloud of sadness. I wanted Charlie here, I wanted Charlie to live and see me grow up. I wanted to see him live my life and experience his own. I wanted it all…but I wasn't going to get it.

"Bella?" Sam asked as he knocked on the door.

I didn't answer. Instead I continued to sit there and cry.

"Bella, let me in." he said in a more panicked and commanding tone.

Again, I didn't move, as the sobs wracked my body and clouded my hearing. It was a few minutes later that I gained some control over my sobs and calmed myself down a little.

"Bella, please." He begged as I started to calm down.

I got up from the floor and put my hand on the door knob. It was then then it turned and Sam slowly opened the door.

He looked at me and found me broken.

The door was open wider and he stepped into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, turning the knob to hot and warming it up for me.

He then took me in his arms and comforted me in a way I didn't think was possible. He held me in his arms, an arm around my waist while the other making its way up to run a hand over my face and in my hair.

We stared into each other's eyes and let our hurt become one. When the shower was ready and the bathroom was all steamy, he opened the shower door and brought us in there.

Our clothes were now wet, clinging to our bodies.

He lowered his head, kissing me softly at first. My body responded eagerly, melting into his chest and shifting my lips to mold to his. We kissed in synchronization, both eagerly and passionately.

Everything was raw and true. There was no drama or speaking. It was just us, in the moment. We were just…feeling.

And for the first time, feeling felt like the right thing to do.


	19. A Broken Promise

After that night with Sam, the pack took turns being with me and my dad. Most of the time they didn't have to do much; I was usually at the hospital beside my dad just asking myself how we got here.

It was around 11 pm when my dad woke up and looked at me.

"Hey." I said with a small smile.

He tried to give me one back but it looked more like a grimace. I swallowed hard. He was now pale and overly skinny. At times he didn't even look like my dad.

"Bella." He rasped out while trying to sit up.

"Dad, just take it easy. I'm right here." I said holding onto his hand.

"Bella, you need to listen to me…" he wheezed out.

I looked at him nervously and nodded.

"I'm sorry." He said.

I looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

"I know I haven't been the best dad. I mean I was barely a part of your life but…"

"That's not true." I butted in.

"But." He said pointedly. "I want you to know I accept who you are, even though you think you couldn't tell me."

My face paled. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I know you are different Bella. Living in my household…I could see how much you've changed. You've become this powerful, skillful and amazing woman who is so strong." He emphasized.

"You don't have to tell me everything." He said when he saw my shocked face.

"I just wanted you to know it would have been ok if you would have told me your secret. You didn't have to go through everything alone. I would have protected you no matter what."

"Dad…." I said brokenly.

"It's ok." He said with a small smile.

"I'm proud of you kiddo. So proud of you."

I got up and hugged him.

"Come here." He said scootching over to make room for me. I laid down beside him and listened to the slow shallow beat of his heart.

"I want you to be happy." He said thinking out loud.

"Dad- I-…"

"Bella." He said, looking at me with a knowing look. Huffing, I laid there in silence, knowing he could see right past that lie.

"I know that you may put on this brave look and think life can just pass you by and you can pick it up later, but you cant. I want you to **live** life. I want you to see it, like really take a look at it with your eyes."

I furrowed my eyebrows, _what was he trying to say?_

"You deserve to be happy honey." He whispered and turned his head to cough.

I nodded and squeezed his hand.

"Say yes to Sam." He said looking down at me, his voice showing no room for an argument.

"What?" I questioned shocked.

"I know he asked you to move in with him. And you should say yes." He told directly in the eyes.

"Dad I can'-…."

"Yes you can Bella." He said cutting me off.

"I know you love him, just as much as he loves you. I may be a man close to death, but I can still see it."

I closed my eyes at his words. _Death…_

"You make each other happy-complete. You both deserve to live your lives with as much happiness as I did."

I snuggled into Charlie's side a little closer and just laid there thinking.

"I'm afraid." I whispered to him.

"Of what?' he questioned.

"Of-….. Things changing." I admitted.

"What if when I move in things change? Or Sam finds his decision to ask me was a mistake. What if he decides that-…."

"You can't let fear ruin your life Bella." Charlie whispered.

"I just-….I love Sam too much to ruin things."

"You won't ruin anything Bella, not unless you keep pushing him away."

I bit my lip and tried my hardest not to cry.

"Just follow your heart." he said.

Charlie bent down and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you." He whispered strongly while hugging me as tight as he could (which was pretty weak)

I sat up a bit and looked at him.

"I love you too."

I kissed his cheek and he patted my lower back.

"Go talk to him." He told me.

I looked over to the door and saw a glimpse of the guys' bodies all waiting outside the door.

"I will still be here when you get back." He told me.

"Promise?" I asked with doubt.

He gave me a small nod. So I kissed his cheek one last time and slid off the bed.

I walked out the door, looking over my shoulder to see him. He gave me a small nod and let his body relax.

After the door shut, I let out a huge breath and looked at all the guys with teary eyes.

Sam was standing with his arms crossed, his body facing the door a few feet away. Immediately I walked over to him and just melted in his arms.

"I'm so sorry." I muttered in his chest. He hugged me tighter and just shushed me.

"No." I whined and pulled away a bit.

"I am so sorry for saying 'no' to you. I was just….i was just so afraid of all the what if's. I didn't want to lose you and I didn't want to ruin what we had at the same time. I know I hurt you so bad and I just…"

"Bella." He said wiping some tears off my cheeks.

"It's ok." He whispered.

"No, it's not." I said brokenly. "I hurt you Sam. I saw the look and it crushed me. I have done so many things and you always just accept them…"

"Because I love you.'" He said sweetly.

"And I love you too." I told him. "And if you still want me, then yes." I said looking into his chocolate-y eyes.

"Yes?" he asked confused.

"I, Bella Swan, would love to move in with you." I murmured. Sam took a second, shock evidently plastered on his face.

"Yes?" he questioned again.

"yes." I whispered.

He smiled bright and then kissed me.

"I will always want you. Nothing can **ever** change that." He told me and then hugged me tight.

After a few minutes of just being in Sam's arms, he and some of the guys went to do a patrol.

I stayed with Jake, Leah, Quil and Seth just talking and laughing a bit.

The alarm went off in my dad's room and all of our heads snapped to the door.

My heart took a dive to my stomach and we all rushed in his room.

The heart monitor was showing a flat line and the doctors and nurses all came rushing in.

"No." I whispered.

"No, no, no, no!" I said as they all stood over him.

Someone yelled something, but I couldn't hear them. All I could do is watch my dad- he was just lying there. Still and quite.

"Bella." Jake said.

"No." I said pushing him away as he stood closer to me.

"Bella!" he commanded again as I tried to wiggle out of his arms.

"No." I cried weakly as he moved me out of the room.

"No." I said again as his door shut.

"He can't be." I cried brokenly in Jake's arm.

"Shhh." Jake whispered.

I sobbed in my arms and felt sick. He couldn't leave me. He promised. The door opened slowly and I walked out of Jake's arms.

The doctor came out with an indescribable look on his face. That was when I knew. Charlie was gone.

My legs lost their feeling and Jake caught me just in time before I hit the floor.

"I'm terribly sorry." The doctor said and then walked away.

I couldn't stop crying. I had no grip on myself. My heart was wrenching with pain and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball of darkness.

But Jake held me tight. Tears were rolling down his cheeks too but he kept it all in and let me cry on him. He kissed the top of my head and let me hit his chest till it probably hurt.

When I was all out of tears and the sobs died down slightly, I just held onto Jake. I felt so empty. He was about the closest thing to being real.

"You need to go see him Bella." Someone whispered.

I shook my head slightly and continued to stare at nothing.

"Where's Sam?" I think Jake must have said angrily.

"He is on his way. They were pretty far out." Someone said.

I closed my eyes and wished this all to be a dream.

My eyes fluttered open again as Jake moved some hair out of my face.

"Bella…"

"I know." My voice cracked.

I shakily stood up, holding Jake's hand tightly and walked into my dad's room.

I put a hand over my mouth to stop the loud sob from coming out and looked at his dead body.

He was laying still as stone.

Once I got to the side of his bed I lost it.

I let sucked in a huge breath and cried over him.

"You….said….you….wouldn't…leave." I sobbed.

"You promised." I told him.

"I need you." I whispered to him as I held onto his limp hand.

"You can't just leave me." I said with tears still pouring out of my eyes.

The door opened softly and I knew it was Sam. I don't know exactly how I knew, but it was like he made me feel something. There was this spark of warmth that ran through my body.

It hit me again as he came closer, and when he wrapped his arms around me, I just held onto him for dear life.

There were no words to say and no actions he could do to make me feel better. All I needed was my dad….all I wanted was him.


	20. And She Returns

Sam stayed with me while I grieved. I cuddled up to Charlie's cold pale body and hugged him, hoping he would hug me back. As the reality set in, my heart broke even more. He was no longer there to speak soft words of encouragement or love. He was no longer there to bring me comfort or happiness. He was gone and there was nothing I could do about it.

…or could i?

I sucked in a deep breath and sat up. _Could I heal his body? Would it bring him back from the dead?_

"Bella?" Sam asked carefully.

I turned back looking at my dad's body and stared at him for the longest time. _Was I strong enough? Was it the right thing to do? Would he want to come back from the dead?_

Just as Sam was about to say my name again, I opened my mouth and spoke up.

"Sam, I think I can bring him back." I croaked.

"Bella…" Sam said with a warning tone.

"I- I think I can Sam. I- I need to try. I have to." I said, running a hand through my hair. I needed to wake up and feel the energy around me.

"You think that this is the wisest idea Bella? How are we going to get him out of the hospital? How are we going to explain it to him? How-…"

His voice was rising and I couldn't take all of his questions and doubts. He was supposed to be there for me and support my decisions. He was supposed to help take away the pain.

As the hurt continued to burn my chest I let it all come out.

"He already knew!" I said blowing up at Sam. As hurt crossed Sam's face, I took a breath and closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling. I looked back at Charlie and bit my lip. _How could he be gone?_

"He promised he wouldn't leave me till I came back. He promised…and he just left" I said brokenly.

"I know Bells." Sam said coming to me.

"No." I said shaking away his hug. "It hurts Sam. It hurts so much. I can't breathe and I can barely move. All I can think about is him; all I want to do is be with him."

I let a tear roll down my cheek and I continued to look at Charlie. "I have so much power and I can do so many things, why can't I bring him back? Why can't I just do this one thing for myself?"

Sam remained silent and let me continue dealing with my thoughts.

After a few minutes, I fisted my hand and let the energy flow through my body. The shining light flowed around my hand and I moved closer to Charlie. I put a hand over his heart and waited for anything. A movement. A heartbeat. A big gasp of air.

As I waited and waited, and as the energy in my body continued to drain, nothing happened.

"Come on. Come on Charlie." I encouraged with tears in my eyes.

"Bella" Sam whispered coming closer.

"No, you gotta give it a few more minutes Sam" I commanded.

As we waited together for a sign, I felt myself getting overly weak.

"Bella, you need to stop. You are going to end up killing yourself."

"No, he's going to wake up. I can fix this. I can fix **him**." I said determined.

"Bells. It's over." He said to me while touching my arm. I let Sam's words sink in, and I knew he was right. I bit my lip and stopped my healing powers. I glanced at Charlie one last time and then cried in Sam's arms, as he held me tight, promising he would never let me go.

Sam ended up picking me up in his arms and carried me home with some of the pack members following us. Everyone was depressed and quite. No one spoke or let out a peep.

A while later we ended up at Sam's house for the night. He took me upstairs and laid me on the bed.

I didn't move or say anything. All I could do…all I could **feel** was nothing. I was numb, inside and out. It was like I was cold and I couldn't get warm. My thoughts were gone except for that voice in my head saying _he's gone, he's really gone._

"Bella, I'm going to get you undressed and into your pajamas ok?" Sam said while kneeling down in front of me.

Still, I didn't speak. I just watched as his eyes faded into sadness as he watched me still as stone.

I was changed and tucked into bed in a matter of minutes with Sam hugging me to him.

* * *

Days went by like this. Every day I would get up and try to fight off the hovering darkness that seemed to consume me.

It was finally the day of the funeral. Without all the guys, I don't know how I would have gotten through this. They all came together; including the elders, and planned it all while I was in my catatonic state. I was up in my room, still trying to find the courage to come down to see everyone as the day begun. I was dressed in all black, standing in front of my window watching everyone congregate inside of my house to head over to the open meadow to say goodbye to my father.

Sam and the pack all picked out to bury him in a naturous area, not only so they could watch over him, but it just seemed to fit his personality.

There was a knock on my door and I looked up to see who it was.

In came my mother and I stood there beyond shocked.

"Bella" she said in a flat tone. I couldn't bring myself to say hi or ask what she was doing here, but that didn't affect her mood one bit.

"That's fine, you don't have to say anything." She said. I still couldn't tell if she was ticked off at me or not. She sat down on my bed and inspected my room.

"Not much decoration." She commented. A pain ripped through my heart as I felt like she was dissing Charlie.

"What do you want?" I asked, and surprisingly it came out just how it to sound in my head- venomously.

She looked at me shocked and then her game face came on.

"How's life Bella? Run into any troubles yet? I see you have found some guys to string along…"

I swallowed hard at the partial truth in her questions and kept my own game face.

"Gosh, Charlie's death was so sudden." She sighed as she stood up from my bed. "Wonder what happened? Was it the intense pressure of having another person around?" she questioned.

I swallowed hard again and let the question ponder into my thoughts.

"Could it have been the stress of caring for you? Or how about your departure and then return? It must have given him just a run for his money."

I closed my eyes and tried to drown out all the statements she was saying. "What do you want?" I asked weakly.

"Just to see how my daughter was doing." She smiled. "And to show you that you were better off with me."

"Oh really?" I questioned with tears in my eyes. I felt my heart continue to break even more and my breathing became shallow.

"Bella, when are you ever going to learn? People will die around you. It's bound to happen. I mean look at Charlie…"

"You were so selfish and…"

"Get out." A voice growled.

My head snapped over to the voice and I saw Sam standing in the doorway shaking.

"Get the hell out of Bella's room now." He commanded.

I let out a breath and bit my lip. Renee looked from me to Sam and then back.

"So this is him huh Bella?" she questioned.

I looked at her confused and she let out a small dry laugh.

"The man you think is your knight and shining armor? The one you think is going to save you from this terrible life you are living." She said, her voice filled with disgust and sarcasm.

I moved my head to hide my tears and she rolled her eyes. She walked closer to me, standing next to me. "Oh please Bella, you and I both know deep down inside that that is never going to happen."

"I'm no asking you again. Get out of Bella's room." Sam said, while the guys were now starting to huddle behind him in case something was to happen.

I let out a breath and looked at her. Renee gave me a raised eyebrow after taking in the rest of the pack.

"Some more of your 'friends' Bella?" she whispered in my ear in an implying tone. Sam let out a growl and Renee gave a smirk.

"Get out." I spoke up. "I don't ever want to see you again. You are no longer a mother to me and you are **never** welcome here."

Her face turned blank and the room went silent. Seconds later a smack was heard through the room and I put a hand to my cheek- It was burning.

Sam's growls filled the air and the guys held him back.

"Get out" I gritted. Renee let out a huff and quickly left the room.

Immediately Sam came running to me and hugged me tight.

"I'm okay." I sighed and hugged him back.

He pulled back and inspected the cheek where she slapped me.

"It's okay Sam." I whispered, putting a hand over his and smiling a bit.

He let out a breath and then kissed my head.

"Hey guys?" I asked. The pack was awkwardly standing there waiting for Sam and me to finish our moment and head downstairs.

"Can you make sure Renee makes it out? I just don't want her coming back and making a scene."

Jake nodded. "Of course Bells. We'll be right back."

After they left, Sam continued to hug me.

"You know all those things she said weren't true right?" he questioned.

"How long were you there for?" I asked avoiding his words.

"When she started trying to find reasons to blame you for Charlie's death. And Bella, those open ended questions she fed to you, they aren't true. You hear me?" he asked.

I bit my lip and just put my head on his chest.

"Charlie died of cancer. Not because of you. I know that when she was putting all those ideas out that you were starting to believe them. And don't tell me you haven't." he said as he saw me about to speak up. "Because i could feel how your heart began to break as she talked about your father, and how, with every word she spoke, you began to put the possibility in your head and blame yourself."

He bent down to look me in the eye. "I could **feel** it Bella." He stressed.

I bit my lip and wiped away a tear. "I just feel like that maybe if I hadn't…."

"What's done is done Bella, there is nothing you can change about that." He said. "Don't let a person like her influence you like that. You tried everything imaginable."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and just let him hug me close to his warm body.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." I said.


	21. The Road To Closer & Trouble: rated M

I walked out of the house with Sam guiding me. I felt so weak and lost. We all watched as the priest talked. We decided to burry Charlie in middle of the meadow. The pack picked it because they clamed it would be the perfect place. And seeing it now, I agreed. The meadow was breathtaking. So many flowers and grassland. The trees were perfectly placed around the area that it made the place seem wondrous. We peaceful sound of water and wind made me feel a bit better as I knew Charlie would have loved it here.

After everyone was done saying their goodbyes, it was time for me to talk. Sam squeezed my hand and I slowly got up.

I stared at everyone's faces and found myself lost in all the people. I didn't even know half of them.

"My dad-" I breathed. "Look, I really don't know what to say." I admitted.

"I'm still trying to deal with my dads death, as all of you are, and I find myself wanting to add all these heroic features to him. He was courageous and fearless. He never showed any hurt or pain, and was always happy with what he had. He was never greedy or ungrateful, and was always a kind man just getting through the day. His fathering skills were top notch. Whether I knew it or not, being with Charlie were always going to be some of the greatest moments I will always cherish. Sure, he wasn't the finest cook, but he was a damn good fisherman and police officer."

I glanced up and found many people nodding.

"In his lifetime, he has touched many lives and I just wish he was here to continue that. I-…I thank you all for coming. Please feel free to stick around and say your goodbyes later. I believe there are some snacks and such in the house so please help yourselves. Thanks."

I quickly went back ran into the comfort of Sam's arms.

"You did good baby." He whispered and hugged me tight.

I held back my tears as I buried myself in Sam. The guys came around me, trying their best to comfort me.

After I noticed everyone starting to head back to the house I withdrew from Sam and pulled myself together.

"You guys should go back to the house. I'm going to-"

I looked over referring to Charlie. Everyone agreed and took heir time hugging me. I had to admit, them being there and helping me out really did bring me comfort.

"You sure?" Sam asked unsure.

I nodded and gave him a quick kiss.

"Thanks."

He glanced at me one last time before walking off to catch up with the guys.

I waited until everyone disappeared to say my goodbyes. I couldn't believe I was doing this. It was so overwhelming, my heart was clenching with pain.

I dropped to my knees bowing my head at the dirt-covered hole.

"I miss you dad," I whispered softly.

Before I could say anything else, a voice cut through the silence.

"Oh, how touching."

I spun around and was shocked.

"He was a good man wasn't he?" James mocked.

My hand tingled with an energy ball and he smiled.

"Ah ah ahh."

With a blink, I found the vampire I was guessing Laurent. He was standing next to James looking about ready to fight.

"See, my friend here is super fast. And with just a blink of an eye he could snap your neck, your friends' necks, or maybe even some of the guests here?"

I took some deep breaths and retracted my powers.

"Good girl." He cooed with s sly smile.

"Laurent. Go mess with the guests a bit."

I was about to move and attack when James continued.

"But don't kill any just yet."

Laurent seemed to struggle with the order but nodded nonetheless.

"Now," he said letting out a breath, "where were we? Oh yes, your lovely father."

"He put up quite the fight didn't he?" James asked as he started to walk closer.

My heart began to pound and I stood there frozen.

"He lasted longer than I thought he would."

I stared at James confused. What did he mean by that?

"Oh you didn't know? I knew he had cancer. I knew he had it all along. I mean who do you think sped up his downfall?"

"Excuse me?" I said, my voice cracking.

"You didn't think I would just let him become one of those 'cancer survivors' would you?"

"How….?"

"We can speed up thing…or well I can," he smirked, "and learning that, I can do a lot of amazing things with it. The only thing I cant seem to speed up is time. But, again, im still new at it."

"You sped up his cancer?" I asked, still not grasping what I was hearing.

He smiled. "You see, he was diagnosed with it before you even came to this wonderful place you call home."

He was now face to face with me, enjoying my discomfort as he walked into my personal space.

"And after your many refusals to join me, I took matters into my own hands. It was easier than I thought to mess with Catie and Nathan. Oh and poor Elizabeth." He smirked.

"But then after I heard your heroic talents and the happily ever after the couple seemed to obtain, I had to take it a bit farther."

He sighed in delight. "I made sure he was in pain Bella. I made sure he felt all the aches and pains. It was wonderful."

I felt the air shift a bit "but he continued to hold it back from you. Whenever you would walk into the room or he would see you, even from a distance away, he would put on a strong façade and act like nothing was wrong."

Tears slipped down my cheeks.

"So I finally made it so bad he had to go to the hospital. I made sure that he got the terrible news that the chemo was no longer going to work and he had no other option but to die."

I bit back a small sob and trembled as he stood face to face with me.

"See, now you could have avoided this all if you would have just come with me."

"Bella!" Someone shouted.

I looked over and found Sam and Quil running out from the trees.

James put up some kind of block and they couldn't get farther than the edge of the meadow.

I studied the blockade interested. Was he growing the same powers I was? Did mine work like that.

"As you can see, my powers of defense aren't as nearly as good as yours, but im sure they will continue to grow. And having you on my side will of course, do some good."

I looked to the guys and then away at the ground.

Maybe going with him was the right thing to do.

"Wolves," Laurent said with bright red eyes.

He was missing an arm and seemed overly agitated.

"You didn't say anything about wolves." He hissed at James.

James just rolled his eyes.

"James, we need-"

James hit him and the vampire went flying. I watched as he disappeared into the woods and worried what would happen.

"As I was saying," James continued watching me.

Laurent came speeding over right for me and James swept him up in his arms and grabbed him by the throat.

"Her blood just smells so delicious." Laurent raved. "Just one bite. One little bite."

"You touch her, and I will feed you to the wolves." James threatened.

I tried to hide my surprise. Did he know he just saved my life?  
Laurent struggled against him and James ripped off his other arm. Laurent screamed out and continued to fight against him.

"We will have to talk business another day my Bella." James said looking back at me. "Till then."

Immediately the shield holding back the guys dropped and I let out a breath.

"Bella." Sam said hugging me close.

I pulled myself closer and let out my sob- for Charlie, for Sam, for everyone.

Sam whispered sweet words in my ear and continued to hold me.

"Go check on the guys." Sam commanded to Quil as he stood behind us.

Quil nodded and ran off.

As if Sam could read my mind, he kissed my head and murmured: "The guys are alright. Relax. No one got hurt. Everything is okay."

After a few more minutes I could get a hold of myself.

"I love you," he said wiping my tear stained cheeks.

I nodded kissing him sweetly.

"I love you too."

Sam and I walked back to the house side by side.

Immediately the guys came up to me.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

All the questioned made me a little flabbergasted and Sam gave them all glares.

I looked at the small crowd near the house.

"Its okay, the don't know anything. Laurant was fast and teasing. We made sure to get everyone inside before anything could happen."

I nodded and laid my head on Sam's chest. I was so tired yet the day wasn't even close to being over.

I talked with the guys for a little while longer before excusing myself to talk with the visitors.

They all said the same thing, "im sorry", "If there is anything I can do let me know," "It gets easier after a while," blah blah blah. A few people said things like "your dad was a great man," or something along those lines, but I couldn't even care anymore.

Exhaustion was hitting me quick and luckily Sam was there to sweep me off my feet and take me upstairs.

"What about everyone else?" I questioned, still knowing I didn't talk with everyone.

"I will make sure they leave a card or something."

I gave him a look and he rolled his eyes.

"Bella, you are tired and you just lost your father. Give yourself a break."

"Sam," I sighed as he unzipped my dress for me.

He bent down, kissing in between my neck and shoulder.

"I almost lost you today Bella," he whispered. "I cant do that- I cant lose you."

"You wont," I whispered back and closed my eyes.

_**(A/N: Lemon ahead!)**_

His lips felt so good on my skin. Its like I haven't got to feel him in a while. I pushed my body back against him and could feel how bad he wanted me.

"Sam," I breathed. My back arched as he ran his hand up and down my stomach, and then close to the edge of my panties.

He turned me around, guiding me to the bed.

I unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

"Sam," I gasped as he rubbed my breast with his thumb through the black lace fabric. His mouth went back onto mine, sending shivers down my spine.

"The guys are downstairs," I said pulling back a little as he was about to unclasp my bra.

"We can be quiet." He said bowing his head to kiss my neck.

I bit my lip still debating it.

"We can." He said confidently and through the bra to the floor.

His mouth moved down to suck on my nipple and I let out a gasp of pleasure. His fingers grasped the pair and continued to suck and fondled.

"Sam," I panted as he switched.

I arched my body and let out a small moan as I ground my hips against his. He was so hard.

"Bella," he groaned as he thrusted his hips towards mine.

I moved a hand down from his neck and put it in-between us to unzip his pants.

Teasing him slightly, I cupped his balls and he let out a groan. I moved the zipper down slowly and pulled his pants off.

"Sam," I moaned out as he ground himself to me again.

His mouth went back over mine and he slowly went down pulling on my panties.

Before I knew it, I was stark naked and I was waiting for him to push himself inside me.

He stared at me, knowing what I wanted but was waiting to see my next move. I lifted my legs, and used my feet to pull down his boxers from his waist.

"Take me," I whispered, staring at him straight in the eye.

He didn't hesitate. With the trust of his hips, he was inside me, covering my lips with his own to muffle a groan.

He pulled back and then thrusted a bit harder to get deeper inside.

"Sam," I moaned out softly while arching my back.

He put a hand on my lower back and pushed me onto him harder.

"That's it Bells, let it out." he encouraged.

I bit my lip as he buried his head in my neck, peppering me with kisses.

"Harder," I panted, thrusting my hips toward him. I held onto his shoulders, holding back my cries of pleasure.

He continued to pull back, sliding out almost all the way out of me before thrusting hard against me.

Pulling one of my legs out, I bit my lip hard to stop myself from calling out his name.

The angle had now made me closer than ever to a climax.

"Fuck Sam. Harder." I commanded.

He groaned and made sure to make it hard.

"I'm almost there." I panted after a dew more thrusts.

"That's it Baby. Squeeze me harder." He said.

My inner muscles clenched his dick. God he was so big and thick.

Sam must have known I was about to come because he quickly put his mouth over mine and with one last hard thrust I came all over him.

I felt his hot seed jet inside of me and I pulled back arching my back.

"Damn Bells," he panted, still holding me in place.

Putting my leg down, we both let out a groan. It felt so good.

"Sam," I groaned, as he grew hard inside me.

He pulled out of me slowly and rolled over panting.

Catching my breath, I rolled back on top of him.

"Mm, I like you like this." He said referring to my position.

"Who knew my boyfriend was into lap dances." I joked.

"Only with you baby." He said lowing his hands to my hips.

Smiling, I began to tease him. I lifted myself up a bit and rubbed my opening against him.

"Bells," he groaned.

Lowing my head, I took his lips in mine.

"shh, we got ears downstairs." I said and thrusted my hips at him.

He tightened his grip and held back a groan.

"Good boy," I whispered in his neck and started to suck.

"Shit," he whispered and thrusted up at me.

Finding my cunt dripping wet, I moved my hips, hovering over his hard stiff dick, and thrusted down on him.

"Fuck" I cried out as he pulled me back up, to thrust back down.

"Sam," I panted as I moved him hips up and down his length.

"That's it baby" he said as he grabbed my ass to bring me closer.

"faster," I pleaded.

Grunting, he rolled us over and began pistoning into me.

"yes," I panted, finding he was hitting al the right spots.

"Come on Bells, come on." He said moving a hand down to rub my clit.

"Sam," I gasped, moving my head back.

With one last thrust, I was holding back a scream, and climaxing hard.

"Yes," he panted, still thrusting into me.

I could tell he was so close so I rolled us back over and leaned closer to his ear.

"You feel that Sammy?" I asked as I thrusted up against him.

"You're fucking me." I said, pulling up and slamming myself back down.

"Harder," I commanded as he grabbed my hips to satisfy his own pace.

"Fuck Sam," I said finding I wanted to come again. He was fucking me so hard. It felt so good.

I grabbed one of his hands and moved it to my breasts.

"Chest to chest Sam. Just you and me."

I moved our hands down our sides and made his scoop my ass.

"Now fuck me. Hard." I commanded.

He growled and fucked me the hardest ive ever experienced.

"Come on Sam. Inside me. I want you inside of me."

Squeezing him with my inner muscles, I closed my eyes and let out a moan as he came hard inside of me.

"God I love you." He panted as we came down from our highs.

"Such dirty words." He smiled.

"Only for you," I responded kissing him.

"Think the guys heard?" I asked with a sly smile.

"Mmm I don't know, but I would sure like a reply of that." He said rubbing up and down my body.

"Well, when we get rid of the boys, im sure we can figure something out. Maybe even be a little more vocal?" I said.

He kissed my neck.

"Oh baby, I will find us a whole week alone if I can get you like this."

"I'll hold you to that." I breathed as I slide off him.

"Get some sleep." He said kissing my cheek.

I nodded, putting a hand over his, which was draped over my stomach. Within seconds I was asleep, dreaming of all the things Sam and I could do with that week of free time.


	22. The Decision is Made

A few days later after the funeral, I found myself making more progress than usual. I wasn't breaking down as much and my transition of being alone wasn't as bad as I thought.

Of course, Sam made sure a member from the pack was usually here everyday to keep me company.

"You don't have to be here." I told Seth.

"I'm not going to self destruct. I'm okay."

"I know." Seth responded as he watched me from the kitchen table.

"I'm just here for the food." He smiled jokingly.

I let out a laugh and continued to make a pie.

"See, I knew I loved you for some reason."

He gave me a cheeky grin and got up.

"Did you need any help?"

I shrugged. "Do you know how to make pies?"

He looked at me and shook his head.

"You want to learn?" I questioned.

He shook his head again and I laughed.

"Then no, I don't need help. Go find something to do. You're hovering and it's making me antsy."

"Yes ma'am!" he said kissing my cheek and leaving the room.

I finished making about three pies before the 'sift change' happened and Seth no longer had to stick around.

"You guys seriously don't have to do this." I told Seth and Jared.

They both shrugged.

"Its okay. We like spending time with you…"

"And your food." Seth smiled cheekily.

I let out a laugh and handed him a pie.

"In that case, this is for you."

He took the pie and hugged me. "Did I tell you I love you recently?"

I let out another laugh and shook my head. "Get out of here."

He gave me a kiss on the cheek and then walked out the door.

"So do I get some pie?" Jared asked with a smile.

I rolled my eyes laughing and brought him into the kitchen.

"Blueberry, mixed berry, apple or cherry?" I asked.

"Blueberry?" he said shrugging.

I nodded and gave him practically the whole half of the pie.

Just as I sat it down in front of him he dug in. I laughed and walked back over the oven to get the next pie out.

"Do you even taste it?" I asked as I set the hot pie on the cooling rack.

"Yes," he smiled. "And it was amazing."

"What a charmer." I teased.

"Are you making more?" he asked watching me.

"I was thinking about it…"

"But?" he asked.

"I need to go to the store for more stuff. Want to accompany me to the grocery store? I would leave you here but I fear for my pies."

Jared let out a laugh and stood up. "Come on, Lets go. I will drive- but the next pie better be all for me."

"Yes sir!" I said, turning back to make sure the oven was turned off and then went on my way with Jared.

We got to the store in no time and I pulled out a cart. We went up and down every hour and I think he was shocked how many ingredients I pulled off the shelves.

"Here, let me take it," he said referring to the cart. It was getting a little over stuffed.

"Thanks," I smiled and then continued with my shopping.

"Does Sam know you buy all this? Or more like pay for all of this?" Jared asked as we loaded it on the cashier belt.

"I don't know. I think he knows I buy a lot of food for the pack, but I don't think he's really ever seen how much."

Jared looked a bit shocked but continued on with me nonetheless.

After we were done, we got back to the house and found shifts had change.

"Hey, where were you guys?" Jake asked.

"Grocery shopping," I said as I brought in some bags.

The boys helped me put things away and then take things back out as I wanted to make some more pies.

"You can go my man. I got this," Jake said to Jared.

Jared gave him a look and sat down at the table.

"And miss out on my pie? No thanks. I will be happy to stick around."

I let out a laugh. "Not that I don't love you both, but where's my boyfriend?" I asked.

"He should be home soon." Jake said looking at the clock.

Quickly, I formed my pie and heated it up with my powers.

"Got to love a fresh warm pie," Jared smirked as I handed it to him.

"Go, get out of here. Share some of that with your girlfriend if it makes it home would ya?" I asked as he got up from his chair.

"Mhhm," he said as he took a fork from the drawer and began eating it on his way out.

Jake and I chuckled. "It not going to make it home is it?" I asked.

"Nope," Jake laughed. "Not even half way."

I was almost done making my second pie when Sam stepped through the door.

"Hey you two. Thanks Jake." Sam said as he came over to give me a kiss.

"Mmm, smells good." He said.

"Too bad this one isn't for you." I said as I heated the pie with my powers again.

When it was cooked, I turned around and handed it to Jake.

"Get out of here. I'll see you later."

"Thanks Bells." He said kissing my cheek. Quickly he said goodbye to Sam and was out the door.

"I missed you," Sam said nuzzling into my neck as we stood in the kitchen.

"I missed you too," I cooed happily. He pulled me into a long soft kiss that I couldn't help but love.

"You know, as much as I enjoy the company, I don't need the guys to be here 24/7. I am fine on my own."

"Its not 24/7." Sam mended as he kissed my forehead.

"Sam," I whined as he walked to the fridge.

"Come on Bells, just let me do this."

"You aren't doing it. The guys are." I said.

He looked at me with hurt in his eyes.

"You know what I mean," I said gently as I walked over to him. "I can see how tired the guys are. I don't want them going through patrols, babysitting me and trying to find time to spend living a life."

"At least they are getting free food." Sam said.

I gave him a look and he sighed.

"I need you to listen," I said softly.

Biting my lip, I looked at him. "I can't let the guys be stretching themselves thin because I need them to be saving all their energy and time for the big fight."

Sam looked at me confused for a second before going wide eyed.

"Wait!" I commanded before he could say anything.

"I need you to hear me out. I can't just sit by and do nothing. James is planning and getting ready. I cant let myself be off guard and comfortable. Until he is gone, I will not rest."

Sam looked at me sadly. "And I know how much you don't want me to fight this. But I need to Sam." I let out a breath, "I also know, the only way you will let me do this is if you put yourself in the fight. And as much as I hate it and don't want it to happen, I need to realize that I need you in there."

Sam nuzzled into my neck.

"I need you guys to take care of the vampires. I need you to protect the people and do what you do best."

"Im not losing you," he mumbled as he kissed my neck.

"You're not going to. But I need to fight this."

"I cant." He said holding me closer to him.

"Sam," I pleaded as I pulled away a bit. He met my eyes and I saw hurt, pain, but most of all love.

"Please." I begged.

He ran his face over my cheeks, forehead, in my hair, down my neck, over my chin and across my lips.

"Okay," he whispered. "Okay."

We cuddled a while longer before I went back to making a few pies. Instead of using my powers, I shoved them in the oven and waited for them to cook.

As I was cleaning up my mess, I couldn't help but wonder, what now?

I pondered my thoughts a while longer till all of the cleaning was done.

"Do you think I can call the Cullen's?" I asked turning to him, "for training purposes" I added.

He had this look but then it faded and he nodded.

"I just want to be ready," I told him, stopping over to the table to give him a kiss. Sam took me by the waist, moving me to stand between his legs. He let out a sigh and bowed his head-, which was his way of showing me he was stressed.

I raked my hands through his hair and down his neck. Over and over I continued my motions till I leaned down and kissed his head. Backing away from his embrace, I walked over to the phone and dialed Carlisle.

"Hey Esme," I said sweetly. It was great to hear from the Cullens. For some reason, I always felt as if I never really got to sit and chat with them.

Esme and I ended up talking for a while before I asked for Carlisle.

"One second dear," she told me as she called for him.

I waited with patience and the smooth male voice came on the phone.

"Hello Bella," he said with a velvety tone.

"Hey Carlisle. How are you?" I asked.

"Very well thank you. And you?"

"Good thanks. I actually called to ask you if you would be willing to start my training again. I know we kind of lost base on it and I wanted to pick it up again."

"Sure Bella, I would love to. But if you don't mind me asking…is it okay with Sam and the wolves?" he asked.

"Yes," I breathed with a small smile on my face, "Plans have changed slightly Carlisle. I'm taking up the battle with James and I know my family is going participate so, I guess we will all need some training."

I continued to tell him the whole story; from everything that happened with Charlie's funeral to my history with James. It seemed like forever until we got back to the present.

"Well Bella, Our family would love to help you train and if you would allow us, I'm sure my family and I would also like to help you in this fight,"

"Carlisle," I said already feeling the guilt creep up on me.

"Bella, it would be our honor. It would be the least we could do for you- our peace keeper and friend."

I smiled at the sweet words and was a bit speechless on what to say.

"The more the better right?"

"Right," I breathed.

"Good. Then it's settled. My family and I will be participating in this…war too." He said.

I wasn't sure if I was to say yes or not. Its not like I wasn't happy- I mean its great to have more people back you up, its just I felt so guilty.

Carlisle and I stayed on the phone, talking a bit more about the dates of training and such.

When it was all settled and organized we said our goodbyes and I walked into the living room to find comfort from my boyfriend.

"Everything okay?" he asked as I plopped my body down on the couch and laid my head in his lap.

I put my hands over my face and sighed, "I feel guilty," I told him. Moving my hands, I looked up at his brown eyes, "They wanted to help- more than just the training. Apparently my brain decided to run away when Dr. Cullen volunteered himself and his family to stand beside us and fight in this lovely mess."

"They're what?" Sam asked.

"Yup," I sighed, "I have just found some more recruits."

"Well," Sam said rubbing my arms, "look on the Brightside. You have more people to help you win this. It gives you a better ability to face James."

"How so?" I asked.

"I'm sure that the Cullen's and all of the wolves can fight off the vampires while you take care of James. Its not like he found any friends with his abilities."

I sat up and looked back at Sam, "true."

"And im sure you will have Catie and Nate with you in this, so this should be a piece of cake." Sam told me with confidence.

"When did you become so easy going with all of this?" I asked.

"I'm not, but im trying to act and think all positive and so far, that's the best I got." He exclaimed with a yawn.

"Mmm," I moaned leaning over and giving him a kiss, "well its good enough for me."

Getting up from the couch, I took his hand and dragged him upstairs with me for a nap.


	23. Just Can't Get Over Him

I guess the both of us were pretty much exhausted because when we woke up, the sun was just starting to rise.

I glanced over Sam's shoulder and found the amazing view.

"Come on," I told him, rolling out of bed with his hand in mine.

I stood at the window watching the sun rise as warm arms cuddled around my waist.

"Beautiful," Sam said looking down at me.

"Very smooth," I laughed with a blush as I looked back up at him. I gave him a good morning kiss and turned back to the sun. We stood there for a while, just taking in the moment. It felt good to feel at peace.

Sam snuggled into my neck and I smiled. I raked my hand through his hair and took in a deep breath.

The day began as the alarm clock went off. Both Sam and I internally groaned as we looked at the beeping time.

"You should go get ready for work," I told him, trying to ignore the rhythmic beeping.

He sighed and pulled me close, "I have never dreaded work so much in my life."

I let out a laugh and kissed him. Our kisses became a little more than just kisses as we moved to the bed.

"Sam, you need to go home and get changed," I panted as I cupped his head closer to my neck.

He let out a grunt of some sort but continued his actions. My eyes fluttered closed and I wanted him to be inside me so bad.

_He has work Bella…_ the voice in my head echoed. Pulling together some self-control, I pushed him up by the shoulders.

"Sam, you need to go get ready for work. First day back- you shouldn't be late."

Disappointment covered his face and I kissed him briefly on the lips.

"Go on. You have to go home and change."

Sighing, he got up from on top of me and pulled me up with him.

"I love you," he said before kissing me again.

I let out a small moan and pulled away, "I love you too, now go." I laughed as he started to bow his head and kiss my neck.

He smiled at me and then wrapped me in a kiss one last time before heading downstairs and out the door.

I took a moment to catch my breath while the smile on my face seemed to stick. Pulling up my hair in a ponytail, I grabbed my toiletries and was off for a quick shower.

Today was the day I was cleaning the house and getting Charlie's stuff in boxes. The boys offered numerous times but I knew it was something I had to do. It was probably the best day to do it since Sam had work and everyone else had patrol (that was not centered around me).

After showering, I got dressed and brushed my hair.

The butterflies in my stomach grew as I looked down the hall and saw my father's room. The door was shut and it seemed a bit eerie. When I was ready, I walked down the hall and stood in front of the brown bedroom door. The put in my stomach seemed to swallow the butterflies' whole, as I suddenly felt sick. I put my hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly.

My nose was hit with his aroma and it brought tears to my eyes. The reminder of his absence was heart breaking and I moved to sit on the floor. Having the pack around really made me forget how hard it was to lose him. I could barely get passed the doorway. How was I going to do this?

I sat there with tears in my eyes and down my face. Everything in here was him-The bed, the clothes, the wall color... Everything in here made me sick.

The phone rang but I felt so numb I didn't even bother reaching it.

With time, I pulled myself together and stood up. I walked over to his bed and pictured him sleeping there- snoring loudly. Letting out a small laugh, I wiped away some falling tears and went to his closet.

Breaking down again I sat down and leaned against the doorway. I thought I was ready. I thought I could do this, but I cant.

I sat there drowning myself in my thoughts. Tears continued to stream down my cheeks as I buried myself in guilt. He wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for me. I should have been stronger. I should have thought everything out more. I should have…

A hand on my shoulder made me jump and I quickly put a shield around me. When I found it was only Jake with sad sorrow eyes, I quickly put down my protection and dove into his arms. I sobbed in his shoulder and let the guilt consume me as he rubbed my back.

I knew deep in my mind that no matter what anyone was to say- his death was on me. My own father's death **was** my fault and nothing would change that.

"Its okay Bells," Jake whispered as he held me.

I felt him scoop me up a while later in his arms and carry me downstairs. My heart clenched a bit as I heard him shut Charlie's bedroom door- did he know how long it took for me to open that door?

We sat on the couch together till I ran out of tears and started to calm down.

"What were you doin' Bells? Why didn't you wait for one of us?" Jake asked, brushing some hair away from my face.

I couldn't find my voice. Instead I just shook my head and buried my head into his shoulder.

"We are here for you Bells. You don't have to do this alone."

I wanted to tell him how much I needed to- how much of this was my fault, but I couldn't. My voice had run away and not come back and I was tired. Extremely tired.

He seemed to notice because me kissed me and wrapped a blanket on top of us.

"Go to sleep, I will be here when you wake up," he told me.

Nodding, my eyes started to close and I was asleep before he could count to 3.

* * *

When I woke up again, Jake was no longer sitting there with me in his lap. Instead, I was curled up on the couch with a pillow under my head and a blanket wrapped around me. My face felt tight and I knew it was from all those salty tears dried to my face. Wiping my eyes a bit, I slowly sat up front the couch and wondered where that man could be.

"Yea Le, she's doing better," I heard Jakes voice say softly.

"I don't know- probably trying to pack up his stuff. I found her bawling in Charlie's room."

"I know," he responded after a while.

"I'm staying here until Sam gets back."

"Yea, Embry has my shift." He told his girlfriend.

I stopped listening after that. I still felt numb. It was like my mind just turned off my thoughts. I sat on the couch just staring straight ahead. I had that sickening feeling of loss and worry. I didn't know where to go from here.

The phone was set back on its cradle and the noise made me jump.

"Hey, your up," Jake said coming to check on me.

"Yea," I rasped out. Clearing my throat, I continued to sit there staring into my lap.

Sighing, he came to sit next to me and wrapped an arm around me.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded and leaned into his shoulder.

"Thanks for being here."

"Anytime," he whispered, kissing my head.

We stayed like that for a while until I sighed and moved my head to glance up at him.

"It was Sam that called you wasn't it? He felt it."

Jake hesitantly nodded, "He couldn't leave work but knew something was wrong so he had me come check it out."

I swallowed and felt a bit nervous, "what did he say after that?"

Jake shrugged, "he said he would be home as soon as possible and that to take care of you."

"You and I both know he asked and said more than that." I called out on Jake.

My best friend sighed and shrugged again, "Why does it matter Bells? He just wants to make sure you were okay."

"Jake, come on," I told him.

"When I told him where I found you and that you were crying, he understood. He was a bit confused and maybe a bit upset you didn't wait for any of us, but his main priority was to make sure you were taken care of. I promised him to stay here till he got home so that's what im going to do."

I accepted the answer and sat there.

"Did he tell you about the training?" I asked looking up at him.

He nodded, "the pack knows. Some don't agree with what you are doing but as Sam said, it's your choice. You are right when you say it is your fight- but you need to realize, you are apart of us, so it is our fight too. Either way the pack stands behind you."

"Even with the Cullen's also in the fight?"

Jake nodded, "even with the Cullen's. Since your peace keeper and all it makes it so much easier being around them. That constant thought of them being a threat subsides and it's just something that's there. Our minds don't always have to acknowledge it."

I nodded and thought about everything he was saying.

"Do you think I am doing the right thing?" I asked him.

I knew Jake would give me a truthful answer, yet at the same time I was afraid of what he was going to say.

"I think you are right in letting us and the Cullen's' fight. And I think that you do have a right to fight. But I don't think that you really understand what this means. Going to war- if we lose you Bella…it will tear us apart."

I stayed quiet and thought about the possibility that that would happen. Its true, I couldn't say it wasn't. There was a small possibility of me not winning the war or coming back (but I wasn't going to tell them that). But the thought of tearing the pack apart made me sick.

"You're stronger than you all know. You depend on me for such silly things. Soon, I think you will start to realize that you don't just need me to keep it all together- you all can do just fine."

Jake visibly sighed and we both knew this fight wasn't going to get anywhere. We both had our opinions.

Breaking the silence, I leaned forward and ran my hands through my hair till it seemed good enough to tie into a ponytail.

"How long was I out for?"

"Few hours," he said watching me.

"What time is it now?" I asked.

"3."

Nodding, I thought about everything. Sam would be home by 5, which would give me some time to pack Charlie's stuff. I knew the boys had bought boxes before the funeral so I could try again…

"What are you going to do?" Jake asked as I stood up.

"Finish what I started," I told him with a breath.

He got up with me and gave me this look, "Bella…"

"Jake," I said cutting him off, "I need to do this- alone."

He looked very unhappy.

"I know you want to be there with me, but this is just something I got to do. You are going to be right downstairs so if I have another hysterical breakdown you can come get me and I will wait for Sam" I bargained.

He gave me this look that I didn't really know how to interpret.

"Let me do this," I somewhat pleaded. Slowly he nodded and wrapped me in a hug. Hugging him back, I let myself smile a bit before walking back upstairs.

* * *

The second time around wasn't as bad. I felt more prepared than I did before yet I still stood at the bedroom door for a few minutes before opening it.

My nostrils flared at the scent of Charlie again, but this time I held back my tears. Shutting the door behind me, I took in a deep breath.

So far so good.

I walked back over to his closet and stood in the doorway. All of his clothes were hung up and no longer waiting to be picked and touched. I could imagine him walking in the closet picking out something to wear.

I walked in, grabbing a shirt of his and put it up to my nose. It was Charlie. I played with the fabric between my fingers and around my hands. My mind flashed to all those little times I hugged him and came in contact with his clothes.

It was funny how I would never think of these things if he were here. I didn't know I was crying till tears fell down from my face and on his shirt. I let out a bit of a laugh. I was just so used to the feeling I didn't even realize it.

With time, I began packing up his things. Most of the pre-boxed boxes were sitting in his room ready to be packed.

It was weird putting his things away. I felt apart of me want to just leave everything how it was. Maybe he would come back. It was foolish thinking that way but I didn't want to let go. Tucking away his favorite tee and flannel off to the side, I made sure it would be in safekeeping.

I was practically done with the closet when I saw his dirty laundry. I lost it a bit there. The tears kept falling and falling and the hole in my heart opened just a bit wider. It hurt to think he would never have any more laundry for me to do; or even the thought of him no longer wearing all of these clothes.

It was when I was stacking all of the boxes near the middle of the room to label that Sam quietly walked in the door.

"Hey," he said softly, staring directly at me.

I dropped everything and walked straight over to him.

"Hey," I sighed, snuggling in his chest as I wrapped my arms around his waist. I breathed in his scent, letting the tension in my body relax. Something about Sam made me feel so…whole.

"How was work?" I asked after a while.

"Long." He said as we pulled away. His lips met mine for a kiss and I felt the heaviness in my heart lessen, "I missed you," he muttered as our foreheads touched, letting my arms snake around up to his neck.

"I missed you too."

I let my eyes close and I felt him turn his head to kiss me again.

"You okay?' he asked after a few minutes of silence.

I nodded and pulled away a bit, "yea, I just needed to get some of my dad's stuff cleaned up."

He accepted the answer but I could tell he wanted to push me further.

"Do you need help?" he asked.

I turned back to the room and shook my head, "no, I think im done for the day."

"You sure?" he asked.

I nodded and entwined his hand with mine, "yea, lets get out of here."

With one last glance, I said my farewells and shut the door.

"Did Jake leave?" I asked Sam as we got to the stairs.

He nodded and kissed our hands, "yea, he had to get back."

We got downstairs and I felt that weirdness again. I think Sam must have sensed it because he hugged me close to him.

"How about we order a pizza for dinner?" he asked me.

"Can we do a movie too?"

"Sounds perfect," he smiled kissing my forehead.

I smiled up at him and stood on my tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"Go pick out a movie- I'm going to order the pizza and change real quick," he told me with one last squeeze to my hand.

I nodded and walked off to the family room. Deciding on an action movie (Resident Evil), I popped it into the DVD player and went to sit on the couch.

My feet came to a halt as I saw my dad's chair. It was sad to think he would no longer sit there.

Slowly I walked up to it and touched it oh so carefully. My hand ran along the velvety fabric and my fingers shook. I felt eyes on me. Looking up I found Sam staring at me.

I pushed the guilty and sad thoughts away and brought Sam to the couch.

We watched the movie till the pizza came. After Sam paid, we brought the box over and set it on the table.

"Can we talk about what happened today?" Sam asked as I came back from the kitchen with paper plates and napkins.

I felt a bit stunned at his question. It took me off guard.

"What do you mean?" I asked coming to sit next to him.

"I mean the fact that you went in Charlie's room today and not picking up the phone. And what about this sadness and guiltiness you are feeling? Are we going to talk about this at all?"

I sat there unable to form words in my head.

"I get that you needed to…get closure. And if the first step of that was to clean out his room, I don't mind, but Bella…why didn't you tell me? Or wait for me?"

Before he could go further with this lecture, I cut in, "I shouldn't have to tell you all my every move. I should be able to do what I need or want to do when I feel like it. I shouldn't have to look for everyone's approval all of the time. And as for waiting for you…this is something I need to do for myself. He was my father Sam. He was my dad and I need to deal with it by myself. I didn't want you to help or anyone else for that matter."

"But Bella…you're…" he took a deep breath, "you're killing yourself."

His face contorted in pain as he said that. "I can feel bits of what you are feeling Bells, and all of that hurt, and sadness and guilt- you cant keep that bottled up baby."

I shut my eyes to stop the tears but one fell out anyways. Sam pulled me on his lap and wiped away the tear.

Opening my eyes, I bit my lip. The pain in my heart came back and it was almost painful to breathe.

Sam's lips crashed against mine and the ache slowly faded away.

Licking my lips, I played with his shirt and looked at my hands, " I cant- I cant get over him. I can't get over the feeling of his absence or the ache in my heart. Just the thought of him makes me want to curl up in pain. I feel like im living some nightmare that I can't wake up from." I turned my head and tried to blink away the tears, "and what hurts the most is that I did this. And I can't stop thinking and wondering that maybe things would be different if I didn't come here. It just- it hurts to know I was responsible for this. And even when you tell me it's not my fault, Sam, I know it is. I played a part in his death. " I took in a shaky breath, "I keep telling myself that this will get easier- I just need more time to deal with it all- and sometimes it works. Sometimes I really believe it. But times like this afternoon, I could barely get it together. I couldn't think or breathe or feel- I was just numb. I feel like I lost apart of me and I cant get that part back." A tear rolled down my cheek and Sam caught it with my thumb. I glanced back down at my hands resting on his chest.

"I'm trying so hard to work through the guilt and pain but it's just so hard. It's so exhausting and so…so painful. Im tired and im angry. I feel like I should fight yet and at the same time, I can barely keep it together. I want to bring Charlie's death to justice yet im so afraid I wont be able to do it. I cant- I cant breathe anymore," I admitted.

Sam cupped my face and waited till my eyes met his, "Listen to me. We are going to get you through this together. I don't care what we have to do or who we have to go through- you are going to get through this. I know you feel like you have to do this alone but Bells, you don't. I am right here for you. I'm going to help you get past this baby, you just have to confide in me."

Finding his eyes true to his words, I slowly nodded. He pulled me in for a kiss and then tugged back to kiss my tears away. As I moved to get us some pizza, he leaned his head over and rested it on my shoulder, "You don't have to act around me Bells," he kissed my cheek.

I flashed him a small smile and took in his words. Handing him his pizza I snuggled up beside him and resumed the movie again. It was towards the end of the movie that I started to nod off. Picking me up in his arms, he carried me upstairs and into my room. He waited patiently for me as I got ready for bed and then snuggled with me as I fell asleep.

"Love you Sam," I mumbled.

"I love you too," he whispered, kissing my nose as I fell asleep.


	24. Going Back to the Place I Call Home

As a few days passed, Sam kept true to his word. We had this tradition. We would get up together; he would get ready for work as I got ready for the day and then head downstairs and have breakfast together. After he would leave, I would do things around the house (to get ready to sell it) and then go upstairs and pack some more of Charlie's things. I took his room step by step. There was only so much my mind could handle.

Sam would usually come back from work and find me in his room. He would usually just stick his head in to let his presence be known and then let me be. I would typically come down a few minutes later when he popped his head in and he would have a carry out waiting or a plan to take me out somewhere.

It was nice just being with him. He took some time away from the pack to be with me and the pack gave us some time to just be together.

It was on a Thursday night that Sam came home from work and broke the routine. He came in Charlie's room, taking a look around. I figured he had something to say, but instead he grabbed me by the waist and kissed me.

"What was that for?" I laughed.

"Just missed you," he mumbled in my neck.

"Sam," I giggled. Pulling his head back, I made sure we were face to face. "What happened?"

"Just a hard day at work that's all," he sighed with tired eyes.

"Wanna talk about it?" I asked.

He shook his head and snuck his hands under the back of my shirt.

"No, I just wanna be with my girl," he breathed.

I nodded and let our bodies cuddle. My hands ran through his hair and down his neck. I felt him hug me closer and burry his face in my neck. His warmth made me feel relaxed. It was peaceful.

"How about we go back home tonight?" I asked him.

"What about what you're doing here?" he wondered.

I took a look around and let out a breath, "im almost done here- there's not much left to do. And I think it will be good to go back home and cuddle in our own bed." I laughed as my thoughts drifted to my full size bed here.

"True," Sam groaned happily as he thought about it. "You sure your okay to leave here? Its okay if you don't. It hasn't even been a week yet…"

"Im sure," I said with a small smile. And it was true. With everyday that passed I was starting to move on more and more. The pain was there- but the reminder that would rip through my heart started to lessen. And with Sam around, he made it go away.

"Plus, I think you and I are going to need more clothes if we stay here," I joked.

"I don't mind grabbing some more when I get off work tomorrow. I have to stop by there and change my clothes anyways," He said helpfully. I gave him a kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Im not going to break if I leave," I told him in the eye, as he still seemed skeptical.

"Alright," he breathed and kissed me, "wanna grab something to eat and then head back to our place?" he said with emphasis on 'our'.

I let out a chuckle and nodded, "Sounds perfect."

* * *

I packed up a bit more, labeling some boxes here and there. When I was done, I met Sam downstairs and we were on our way to the diner and home.

As he drove I pondered the word home. It felt good to think about. Sam and I sharing a place together…it just felt right. My thoughts wandered to the 'original plan' I always had. It was interesting to think about. I remember telling Sam about it but I always remembered thinking I would never move in with someone who I was dating. It was silly to think but I remembered reading a book on how the rates of divorce/ unsuccessful relationships ended because of living with one another. I would get married first before moving in-I was dead set on that, but look at me now. Here I was living with Sam and not even married.

Marriage.

That word gave me Goosebumps. It's not that I didn't want to get married to Sam. That thought made me happier than ever- being his wife and having a ring on my finger. It sounded great. It was just the thought of how young we really were- me being 19 and him 24… _**(A/N: Sorry, I don't know if I already gave them ages or not) **_wasn't this sort of a big thing? I guess I was looking at this out of perspective. Its not like he was about to propose today…or tomorrow. It was just that my life was one thing after another. It was literally flying- and that scared me. I didn't have any control or power- and saying that…it just made me feel helpless.

Sam grabbed my hand and squeezed it, "You okay? You seem like you are thinking pretty heavy over there."

I smiled at his little joke and nodded, "yea, just can't wait to get home."

"Me too," he smiled and kissed my hand.

We pulled up to Sue's diner and got out of the car. Walking in, I found Sue at the counter and she gave me a surprised smile.

"Hey Sue," Sam and I both smiled.

"Bella, Sam. Good to see you both." She replied as she took our orders. As we waited for our food, Sam and I made some small talk. It was funny- no matter how much time we spent with each other; we could still find things to talk about.

"So are you going back to school?" Sam asked carefully as our food arrived.

I sighed. I knew how much he wanted me to continue it. He wanted me to take the opportunity he couldn't. I got that- it was just a lot of work to do so.

"I don't know yet,"

"Bells…" he started,

"I know Sam," I said taking a sip of my drink, "but it's harder than you think. If I go back im going to have a lot of work to catch up on; And with that and trying to sell Charlie's house… plus, I would have to keep commuting back and forth. We have James to get ready for- that means training and such. There's just a lot to do."

I took a bite of my food, "School will still be there when all of this is over."

"Will it?" Sam questioned. Dropping my fork, I sighed and leaned back in the booth.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He dropped his fork too and gave me a look, "all I am saying is life doesn't stop. Things will keep popping up. And I know you. You put the pack before yourself. And im not saying that a bad thing baby, cause its not- its just…I want you to do something for you, and I feel like quitting school now- you will regret it later. School is for you, its something you wanted to do and pushed for it."

My anger faded and I looked my boyfriend, "Sam, things change- it was something to do…or is, I don't know, but with my dad being gone and James is here, it's just not the best time. I want to protect everyone- I need to. And in order to do that, I have to focus and school will just make me lose that."

"This all doesn't have to be on you though," he pushed, "yes we have to train also, but while we do that, you can focus on your work and yourself. You don't always have to worry about us."

I internally groaned as that last sentence was once flipped around and used by me.

"If I go back, I will have a lot of work to catch up on,"

"Then its good you still have a week of leave till you have to go back or quit," he smiled.

Rolling my eyes, I picked up my fork and began to eat.

"Fine," I said after a while.

I looked up from my food and found him smirking.

Sam paid the bill a little while later and before I knew it we were back at the house.

Walking in the door, I smelled that distinct smell- the one that you know is home. Well I smelt it. It gave me comfort- to know I had a place. I walked further in our home and I turned on some lights. It seemed like it's been vacant for a while.

"I missed this place," I told Sam as he bent his head down to kiss me.

"I missed you," He mumbled against my lips.

I gave a little laugh at his lame joke and continued to kiss him right back.

* * *

I woke up in the morning to the sun shining through the windows and a bare chested man beside me. Rolling over to face him, I found he was still asleep. Taking the bed sheet with me, I quietly slipped out of bed. Walking to the bathroom, I turned on the shower and dropped the sheet. Stepping in a few seconds later, I let my body relax as the warm water sprayed my body.

When I got out, I wrapped a towel around my body and walked out. I planned on secretly stealing on of Sam's shirts to do some housework and then going to work on my powers but I guess it wasn't really a secret since Sam was up.

"Morning sleepy head," I smiled as he walked back into the bedroom with coffee in hand.

Sam's eyes darkened as I walked over to him to steal some coffee. As I sipped the warm liquid, I watched as he continued to stare at me.

I handed the mug back to him and he bent down to kiss me. The kiss was possessive. It was hard and rough- something I liked.

"Sam," I laughed as he started kissing down my neck and grabbing at my waist. The water in my hair continued to drip and roll down my body.

"Im wet," I squirmed with happiness as I felt the sparks run though my body.

"Already?" he asked, pulling away to waggle his eyebrows. My eyebrows shot up at his sexual reference and I hit his shoulder lightly as I laughed.

"You are a jerk," I commented as I walked out of his grasp to walk over to the dressers.

"Why? Just because I have a way with words?" he joked and kissed my shoulder as I pulled out one of his shirts.

"No, because you twist them," I giggled as his kisses began to tickle. I could feel his smile against the back of my shoulder. His hands began traveling from my waist to where I held my towel in place.

"Sam are you really going to try and drop my towel when the windows are open?" I turned to question him.

He turned his head to look at the window and then went back to kissing my body with a smirk, "I thought about it."

I let out another laugh and shook my head, "What a man."

Sam took a shower a few minutes later and got all ready for work. After he left, I decided to do some housecleaning.

I dusted and vacuumed the house, went grocery shopping and even cleaned the floors. By the time I took another shower and started cooking, Leah came barging in through the front door.

"What the heck? You're back?" she asked.

"Hey, yea…everything okay?" I responded as I leaned over to hug her.

"Yea of course it is, its just Sam hasn't phased to tell us, so when I saw the lights on, and I thought someone was in here-"

"Yea, that was my fault. Sam and I have kind of been in a bubble lately and then today, he was off to work while I cleaned up this place and yea. Sorry, I should have told one of you guys."

"Not a problem," Leah said hopping up on the counter and taking a carrot stick off my cutting board.

"We just like to check up on the house from time to time- especially when Sam was not around to make sure it was still standing."

I nodded and continued to cut the vegetables.

"So what are you up to?" she asked looking down at the food.

"Just cutting up some of the food I bought- probably should make some dinner soon," I told her as I looked at the clock.

"So does that mean you guys are staying here for sure now…or is this temporary?"

"Its for sure," I breathed, "I figured it was time to get out of there and pull myself away. Plus, I don't think Sam could take another night sleeping in a full size bed with me."

Leah laughed as she thought about the image in her head. We continued to talk for a while, just going on about all of the things I missed and all of the pack gossip that's been happening. We switched from topic to topic- both of us just chatting and laughing as I cooked.

"Man, you're making food for an army," Leah commented.

"Sam eats like an army," I corrected. The both of us chuckled a bit and continued on.

"So what are you going to do about school?" Leah wondered swinging her legs back and forth.

"Well," I sighed, "Sam wants me to continue- he thinks if I quit now then I will probably never go back- and I guess he's right. I think I would just keep finding things that would make me not go back and I would never finish. But it's a lot to do. I have a ton of make up work, I will have to keep commuting back and forth and I kinda wonder if it's worth it."

"What do you mean?" Leah asked.

"Well, I could always do online classes." I shrugged.

"But?" she questioned mysteriously.

"But the program for the whole cake thing is definitely not as good and I don't even know if they offer something for dance,"

"Well that's stupid," Leah commented, "Sam is obviously right."

My head shot up and I raised an eyebrow at her. Did she just agree with my boyfriend?

"Knowing you- yes you will always find something to hold you back- but, you are not the person who usually cowers from challenges. Yes it will be hard to do all the work and commute but why would you waste you time with online classes and such when they suck and may not offer what you want to do? That- Bella Swan, is stupid."

"I still have to add training to the schedule," I told her after a few minutes of thinking.

"You can do it," she told me as she chewed on some more celery.

"Leah, my focus should be on this fight. Not school and all that crap." I stopped and told her.

"Yea but Bella, you have to live your life too- you cant just lose yourself in this thing that will end up turning into a nice vampire ass whoopin'" she said with a smirk. I gave her a smile but felt really strongly about this.

"Look," she said with a more serious face, "I know you have the weight of the world on your shoulders again- and I also know that you blame yourself, but really Bella, shutting yourself out to all of the things around you isn't going to do you any good. Maybe by living a little you can find your inner peace or warrior. I don't know," she concluded.

Instead of coming back with a response, I moved on and asked her what she thought of my fighting with James idea. Apparently she was all up for it- except for the part I was going to be fighting along side all of them too.

"Don't get me wrong- I know you are strong- its just…the idea of not having us around to even try and protect you makes me antsy. If you're as important as we all think…and know," she added with a smirk, "then I think you should have more people beside you when you go up against him."

"What are you saying?" I questioned.

"I'm saying that we need to think of a better plan."

"A better plan?"

"Yes a better plan. We need to strategize."

I nodded, agreeing with her. She was right. We all haven't really sat down to think about this. And by all I mean** all. **I've been asking and hearing about what everyone thinks of my actions, but I have barely talked to them myself. Hell- we all haven't even gotten together in one setting.

"Wanna have a bon fire tonight?" I questioned.

"You? Want a bon fire?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, lets not call it a bon fire. How about…a party? Just a good old fashion get together that just happens to feature a fire to roast marshmallows on."

"Sounds good to me," she smirked.

"Awesome," I responded and continued my cooking. Sam came home a little while later and was surprised to see Leah sitting on the counter.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her as he came over to give me a kiss.

I smiled up at him, kissing him right back, "We are going to have a party," I murmured.

"We are?" Sam asked surprised.

"Apparently so," Leah smirked. "I'm going to go tell everyone," she said jumping off the counter and walking out of the house.

"How did this happen?" Sam asked with his mouth to my ear while hugging me at the waist.

"Leah stopped by to check on the house since she found lights on and I don't know, a party sounds nice," I murmured as he nipped at my ear. Leaning back, I slid a hand up and ran it through the back of his hair.

"A party does sound nice," he whispered back.

"How was work?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

"Nothing new- couldn't wait to get home," he sighed with a squeeze to my waist.

I let myself smile and ran a hand up his arm.

"Hey Sam?" I asked as I watched the boys come out of the woods laughing along side Leah.

"Yea?"

Turning to face him, I looked into his deep brown eyes.

"I love you."

His smile spread and his eyes shined with a small twinkle, "love you too baby," he said with a smirk.

Our lips touched, but before we could actually get in a full kiss everyone came hustling in the room.

"And the lovebirds are back!" Paul teased with a loud happiness.

We all chuckled and Sam and I parted. After giving everyone a round of hugs, I went back to the food and ordered everyone to help. We laughed and talked as everything got prepared and I was even happier as more people came busting through the door.

When everything was set and everyone was here, we all walked out to the back and began the night.


	25. The Day to Ourselves: RATED M

It was great to feel like I was back in the grove of things. Ever since Charlie's death and the drama before that, it was like a never-ending cycle; one thing after another and each time it chipped away bits of hope. But now, having everyone together, just rebuilt all of the hope I once lost. We were all having a great time- laughing, talking, and eating. It was perfect and I knew I had to store memories in my head of this night to draw. Of course, Emily and Kim had their cameras too, which was a great help.

"Care to dance?" Seth asked me, extending his hand.

"Why thank you," I giggled as he spun me to the 'dance floor'. We laughed and danced silly for a while, just enjoying the breeze of it all. Having fun came so easy to Seth, and as he took me along for the ride, I couldn't stop myself from going along with it.

"Way to show us all up Seth," Jared joked cutting in. He held out his hand for me, which I accepted with a smile.

Seth gave me a quick wink before patting Jared's shoulder and heading for the food table.

"Where's your girl?" I asked Jared as I danced with him.

"She is taking her picture duty very seriously," he said with a small smile. I let out a laugh and gazed up at him.

"Well you know, when Emily assigns these type of jobs, she means business."

"Oh I know, you don't have to tell me that one twice," he added lightly.

"Who knew you were such a good dancer," I told Jared as he twirled me with ease, matching the beat of the slower song we were dancing to.

"Not many people," he laughed. As I stared up at him, I noticed something.

"What's on your mind?" I asked him.

"How do you do that?" he asked surprised.

"Do what?" I asked.

"The mind reading thing you have going on. It's like…I don't know," he said.

"I'm just amazing like that," I joked, waiting for him to tell me what was going on.

"Jared?" I asked, trying to reach eye contact with him again. His cheeks became a bit red and he continued to look off to the side.

"I want to…um…be active with Kim," he said.

"Active?" I asked confused, "as in…oh!" I said getting what he meant. My cheeks blushed a bit too, but I wanted him to continue.

"And I know that you and Sam well…are… and I was wondering…I mean…I was curious to how-…I mean…"

"Jared, just form a sentence already," I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. It worked, as a small smile graced his lips.

"I want to…do stuff…with Kim, I'm just afraid of hurting her. I just- if I accidentally get carried away or im too heavy against her or-"

"Okay, take a breath," I told him with a hand on his chest.

He took in a deep mouthful of air and let it out slowly.

"Have you talked to Sam about this?" I asked.

"A bit," he said. "He just told me some things about its all in the moment, and you know if and when you start losing control. He said stuff about trusting yourself but Bella, what if something was to happen. I don't want anything like that, but I keep pushing her away and she's getting frustrated. I just…don't know what to do," he sighed.

I bit my lip and thought about everything.

"I guess Sam is kind of right. You kinda just have to be in the moment, but-" I said before he could say anything. "I just- I don't know how to explain it to you. Its like…you have this trust in the other person, like the person does with you. When im with Sam, I know he wont hurt me. I don't have a doubt in my mind. He knows it too- somewhere deep down inside. Being human…it doesn't mean you are weak or so fragile, it just shows you're different. You are human too Jared, you all are. You just have another side to you."

I tried to sum it up a bit better, "Its not just your human side that fell in love with Kim, but the wolf. And the wolf…feels much stronger than the human. He makes sure she is always cared for and protected, and especially loved. So when and if you take the next step, I think the wolf will make sure she is safe and your gentle. Both sides will give into her needs, and they will also be consciously aware you have to be gentle."

"So you're saying…" he asked.

"Im saying stop worrying so much. What happens, happens and you two will be fine."

"Right," he breathed.

"Just let everything run its course," I settled.

"Thanks Bells," he said giving me a smile.

"Anytime," I grinned back, loving as he twirled me. I danced with Jared a little while longer till he went and grabbed Kim. Shooting Sam a quick smile, I rejoined the party, laughing alongside everyone.

As the night drew faster, everything started winding down. Grabbing a seat next to Jake, I watched the flames danced in front of us.

"Hey," I said bumping shoulders with him.

"Hey," he said wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"You okay?" I asked after a while.

"Yea," he said kissing my head. "Just thinking about everything."

"Everything huh?" I asked.

"Pretty much," he sighed.

"I think that's crazy," I said trying to lighten the mood. "You can't think of everything that's gone on, I mean come on, it's been nuts. From your secret to mine; to college and gosh, everything else. Im surprised we wound up here like we did."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"It's been a wild." I said bluntly while staring into the fire. He nodded and squeezed me tight.

"I think im going to go back to school," I said after a few moments of silence.

"I thought you were opposed to it?" he asked.

"I am…or was" I said furrowing my eyebrows, "but I guess Leah was right- I do need a life. I need to find a balance with everything. Even though im totally stressed out about this war, I want to go to school. In an odd sense, it's kind of like a stress reliever. In those few hours while im sitting in the classroom, I actually feel just like a normal girl going through everyday life. Its like my escape."

"So then back to school huh?" he asked confirming it.

"Back to school." I stated.

"Jake?" I said more in a questioning tone as more silence passed between us.

"Yea?" he asked.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed and rubbed his face. "Just worried about this war. Not for the guys or me…just you. I don't like it."

"I'm going to be okay you know," I told him, shifting myself so I could look up at him.

"It still doesn't make me feel much better," he told me.

"Then I guess we better think of a new plan," I told him with a dramatic sigh as I turned back to the fire.

"Yea-wait what?" he asked a bit startled.

"We need a new plan. A better one to be exact."

"We do?" he said confused.

I let out a laugh at his face. He was so lost. "I think it's about time we all came together and figured this out. We haven't been doing this properly. We haven't been talking with each other. It's just been me calling the shots and then fighting about it with Sam. Then that results to the rest of the pack being unhappy or torn between who they should agree with, and it shouldn't be like that."

"So…what? We all get together now and strategize?" he questioned.

I shrugged, "Yea, well I mean, I haven't had a chance to talk about this with Sam quite yet, but yes, that's what im hoping for. I want our family to come together…as well as the Cullen's."

Glancing up at Jake's face, I rolled my eyes, "again, I still have to talk with Sam about this, but I think he will agree. As much as you all have a hatred for the Cullen's, which is understandable, we need them. They need to train us and communicate with us. As long as we are improving the communication between our family, why not fix it with them too?"

"I'm proud of you," he said bringing me closer and kissing my temple.

"Thanks," I said softly.

The night ended uneventfully. We said our goodbyes, all enjoying the peaceful night, and parted ways. As the door finally shut to our home, I let out a groan and let my body rest against Sam's hard chest.

"Lets go to bed baby," he told me guiding us up the stairs. We both quickly changed and headed for bed.

"I believe that was one of the most perfect nights," I told him crawling over him to my side.

"Agreed," he hummed helping me get settled. He slipped his hand up one of his shirt I was wearing; his body heat radiating off him.

"We haven't had one of those in a long time," I moaned softly, enjoying his thumb rub circles around my waist.

"Mmhmm," he said bringing my closer to cuddle next to him.

As my eyes started to droop, I remembered what I wanted to share with him.

"Sam," I mumbled out.

"Hmm?" he asked, continuing to lull me to sleep.

"I decided to go back to school. You and Leah were right," I hummed out.

"Yea?" he asked, stopping his motions.

Opening my eyes, I looked up at him.

"Yea. As much as I want to focus on the war, I also want to live somewhat of a normal life. And not going to school takes that away."

Laying my head back down on his chest, I moved my hand to lie on his heart. "I miss school."

"I'm proud of you," he told me while restarting the circular motions on my waist.

"Thanks," I mumbled out.

Before letting my eyes flutter close, I mumbled to him once again, "Hey Sam?"

"Hmm?" He replied.

"Remind me to tell you some more stuff tomorrow."

He let out a small chuckle and whispered, "okay."

As my breathing evened out, and my eyes closed, he rubbed my hair.

"I love you," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"Love you too," I told him, inching closer to his side and falling asleep.

* * *

When I woke up again, I was laying on my stomach with a warm hand on my back. I smiled without even opening my eyes knowing who it was.

"Morning," he murmured coming to kiss my cheek.

"Hi," I sighed in content and let my eyes open. Sam lay there rubbing my back, drawing patterns every so often.

"What time is it?" I groaned, propping myself on my forearms and rubbing my eyes.

"Around 10," he said focusing on kissing every inch of my body.

"Shouldn't you be on patrol?" I asked confused.

"Already done baby," he smirked and continued his adventure.

"Sam," I warned as he rolled me over onto my back.

I let out a groan and pulled him closer to me. "What if the guys are here?"

"I don't care," he muttered kissing my neck.

"Mmm, I do. Sam!" I gasped out as he began sucking my collarbone. I moaned out his name again, tugging him back. I didn't need the guys to be downstairs listening to my sex life. Just the fact that they can visualize it when Sam thinks about it makes me embarrassed enough.

"No ones coming by today baby," he said looking at me.

"Why?" I asked him cautiously.

"I told them today I wanted to be with my girl. All day," he growled out and began taking charge again. His hands began venturing down, grabbing at my hips and waist. Although I had some questions about what he meant, I let it go. It has felt like such a long time since we have gotten to feel each other. I guess the imprint is odd that way.

He startled me as he rubbed the bulge in his boxers against my core. Holding back one of his animalistic grows, I knew he really needed to be inside of me. So instead of teasing him, I let him have full control of me. His hands wandered wherever he could possibly get them- up my shirt, down my thighs, across my chest; the feeling of his hands on me was exhilarating yet at the same time all I wanted him to do with me was to touch me and make me cum.

"Sam," I gasped out as he peeled off one of his shirts I was modeling.

"Baby please," I begged as he took one of my breasts into his mouth and began to suck. His tongue rolled around my nipple, teasing and nipping me. I let out a curse, along with a small sigh as he let my right breast go, only to move on to the left one.

"Sam," I cried out with my hands on his back and shoulders. His mouth continued to work its magic while his hands drifted farther and farther down from my waist to thighs.

His thumb lightly grazed against my nub and I let out a cry of pleasure. My hips bucked forward and I felt his bulge once again.

"Baby please, I need you," I panted out. His torture was killing me. His teeth let go of my nipple, his mouth now moving to spread kissing around the rest of my breast and stomach. I could feel another hot rush of liquid my panties now held.

"Sam I can't hold out much longer," I told him as his hands cupped the sides of my butt.

Taking in a deep breath, he looked up at me, "you don't need to."

He swiftly pulled down my panties and held my hips tight. His body went rigid, and I knew exactly why. He was trying to hold onto that small amount of self control- trying to make sure he didn't cum right there at the sight of my dripping wet clit.

I let out a whimper as he pushed two fingers inside of me. I could hear the small growl that escaped his lips.

"Fuck Sam," I groaned. I let my eyes roll back into my head as I enjoyed the pleasure he was giving me. His fingers set into a pace I could only gasp at. God he was good at sex.

"More," I panted out. "Sam please, I need another one," I cried.

"Another what baby?' he growled out teasingly.

"Another finger…finger Sam please!" I yelled so close to climaxing. He quickly stuck another one inside of me and I let out a gasp.

"Sammy," I cried as his fingers curled around the nerves inside me. After a few more thrusts, I was a goner. I screamed out his name, thrusting my head back against the pillow while bucking my hips upward.

As I came down from my high, I felt Sam's mouth on me, licking up my cum. "Sam," I panted out, now putting my hand on the back of his head.

This man was horny, that was a fact today. He grabbed my hips, now pushing my pelvis upward. I felt his tongue push inside me, doing all sorts of marvelous things.

I tugged on the back of his head, trying not to climax once again.

"That's it baby," he said kissing my slit, as I was wet again. His thumbs teased my thighs and I held back a scream.

"Give me your juices," he told me, kissing my clit- and now starting to suck on it. I let out a few more cries till I couldn't take it anymore. I came once again, letting him take me all for himself.

As my torture subsided, he slid back up the bed and kissed me dominantly across the neck jaw and lips.

"I need you," I told him straight in the eye. My hands drifted down from his bare chest to his boxer shorts. Not breaking eye contact, I slid his underwear off of him and waited for him to make a move. After a few seconds, I couldn't help but look downwards. He was always so big. Sometimes it still surprised me how he could fit inside me.

Grabbing his erection, I quickly guided him to my opening.

"Sam," I called out to get his attention. With that, he quickly thrusted his hips forward, entering me swiftly. Our hips rocked together, back and forth, trying to each reach our peak. I swear Sam held on to give me two more orgasms before he took his. I lay limp in the bed seconds after Sam's warm seed filled me.

"This is going to be a great day," I panted out to him. He let out a chuckle and kissed my temple.

"Exactly why I told the boys not to stop by."

"Oh," I laughed, rolling over to face him, "so you had this whole day of sex planned now did ya?"

"It was an idea," he smirked. "Plus," he said puling me close, "I do believe you owed me this."

I rolled my eyes and let the fun continue.

After a few more hours, we finally made it downstairs.

"Should I be lucky we made it down here?" I questioned, once again wearing one of his plain white shirts.

"Very," he teased as he watched me start lunch. As I waited for the water to boil, I stood at the stove thinking about this morning. Today was unbelievable. It was literally non-stop sex- but hey, I wasn't about to complain. My favorite time was this new position we stumbled upon.

_I went to go grab the t-shirt that flew at the end of the bed, when Sam let out a growl. He took my waist, pulling me back to him and sat me on his lap. He was hard and horny. I could feel his erection against my back. His hands began drifting upwards, caressing my breasts and he pushed me up, only to set me back down on him. He slid into me with a different angle and I let out a moan. The way he set me down on his was slow, almost antagonizing. We ended up moving at the end of the bed, my body against the tall end beam of the bed, holding onto it as Sam thrusted against me. We both used it for leverage and hold. Since Sam was behind me, I couldn't grab him, so I clutched onto the pole, letting out sounds I only allowed Sam to hear._

"_Yes Sam, yes!" I screamed out as he thrusted up._

"_Come on baby, come on," he gritted out, pulling my hip down on him hard._

"_Fuck," I whined out, as I felt so close._

"_Come on," he said pulling himself closer- moving his head to rest on my shoulder, nipping at my ear and cupping my breast._

"_Touch me," I cried out as I threw my head back. I needed something, just something to get me over the edge. Sam was thrusting into me hard, I was so wet I was sliding up and down on him._

"_Come on baby," he said moving his thumb and pointer finger to rub my sensitive bud. With a few flicks, I was gone, letting the orgasm ride me._

"What are you thinking about?" Sam growled in my ear. His hand slipped down my front, ready to slip inside my folds.

"Sam, the windows are open," I said catching my hand with his.

"I can smell you baby," he growled again. "You're practically dripping on the floor."

I tried my hardest to hold back a groan at his words. The way he said everything just turned me on.

"You really want the neighbors to see this?" I asked him, his fingers still at my entrance.

"Truth be told, I don't know if I could stop myself," he groaned and slid his middle finger inside of me.

I let out a gasp and let his fingers thrust in and out of me. He leaned us forward a bit, still teasing me with his fingers.

"Looks like you don't want to stop me either," he breathed in my ear. Moaning, I let him touch me, sliding his long fingers in and out of me. I pushed his fingers harder inside of me, trying to get him to stab me deep, guiding his hand with mine on top of his.

"Harder," I panted out bowing my head to get what I needed, "faster."

He let me use his hand to get my release and I could tell it turned him on. He was hard against my backside, thrusting himself up against me whenever I would make a noise.

"I'm almost there," I panted out, pushing his fingers farther.

"Yes," I cried, "yes! Sam! Yes!"

A rush of hot fluid coated his fingers and I started to slowly come down from my high.

"I can't believe I just did that in the kitchen," I panted. "With the windows open," I added.

He let out a growl, thrusting himself against my backside again. Turning in his arms, I pushed him towards the stairs. With the look on his face, using his hand to touch myself, was probably the hottest thing he's ever seen and he couldn't wait to get up the stairs.

He held me in his arms, laying me on the steps, looking at me to make sure if this was okay. He was impatient and needy. Giving him a nod, I watched as he pushed down his boxers and laid on top of me.

"Fuck," he growled out as he entered me. His hips were on fire, the rapid thrusts me gave me, shook my insides. All I could do was moan and scream out his name each time he pulled out of me and then slammed back into me. He became closer as my third orgasm approached; he grabbed my knees, making me wrap my legs around him before slamming into me again. With the change of angle and feeling, I let my muscles clench around his thick member and he came yelling out on top of me.

He began moving after a few minutes, soft, and ready to slide out of me.

"Not yet," I whispered to him, bringing his face back closer for me to cuddle with.

"God baby, that was hot," he said coming to kiss me.

"I think," I said still catching my breath, "you are amazing to think of this."

"Sex on the stairs?" he asked waggling his eyebrows. I let out a laugh and shook my head.

"No, nice try though. I was thinking more of this whole day of sex."

He hummed out a sound of agreement and kissed my neck.

"I love you," I told him.

"Love you too baby," he said and slowly slipped out of me.

* * *

The rest of the day we kept our hands to ourselves…mostly. A few times we got a bit carried away, but it was well worth it.

"So Kim and Jared have started or are going to start…you know," I hinted to Sam as we sat on the couch.

"He seemed very nervous," I added.

"He _**is**_ very nervous," Sam corrected putting his hand on my knee, which was on top of his lap.

"They still haven't done it yet?" I asked.

"Not as of this morning," Sam told me.

"Sucks."

Sam let out a chuckle and rubbed my leg. "So I heard you talking to Jake last night…"

"And?" I asked wondering how much he heard.

"A new plan?" he asked.

"Do you always listen into my conversations?" I asked.

"Only when I'm not standing there next to you," he said cheekily. I let out a laugh and moved to straddle his lap. "You're ridiculous."

"But you love me anyways," he smiled holding me close to kiss my lips.

"So did you want to talk about this?" I asked.

"Did you expect me not to?"

Biting my lip I rolled off of his lap and sat down beside him.

"So where should we start?" I sighed.

"You know, im not **that** bad to talk to," he told me.

"I know," I told him patting his arm in comfort, "I just…also know you. You are going to over analyze this thing to the core and I just…am not sure if I'm fully ready for that."

"What are you ready for then?" he asked.

"Sam, I didn't mean to hurt you," I told him as he looked away from me.

I put a hand on his cheek and slowly turned it to meet my eyes. "I want us to think this out together. I don't want to do this alone anymore and I could use your help. I didn't mean to sound…bitchy or all about me. I just-we want to get it right this time-together."

"Okay," he said kissing me again softly.


	26. IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE

_**A/N: Hey guys after much debating, I've read over my writing and decided to take down these two stories ('Powers of Destiny' and 'Powers of Love').  
**_

_**I think it would best since I've had so much writer's block with finishing the whole story idea and I know it's probably been hard to keep up with. **_

_**When I do end up rewriting the story by making a completely new one, probably with a different name too, I'll take down these stories (but it probably won't be a while- so you still have time). **_

_**I'm thinking of keeping the same concept- Bella having powers, but meeting the Pack and things like that will change. (Still a Sam and Bella paring? What do you guys all think?)  
**_

_**Keep a look out on my page for the new story; again, it probably won't be up too soon though. If anyone wants to actually adopt this story particular story (and/or the other one) let me know. **_

_**Along with that, anyone that wants to help me with the new one by shooting me ideas or a chapter they have written (to co-write), please hit me up! Much help would be appreciated and thanked.  
**_

_**Thank you all again! And I hope you understand.  
**_

_**Much love,**_

_**-the author =)**_


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